When Ange was asked, today, as we all knew he would be, about the Ibrox club signing Aaron Ramsey, I don’t know what the interviewer expected him to say.
Would he praise the player to the nines, giving them their headline?
Would he dodge the question and give the press the chance to say that he was running scared?
Would he resign on the spot, and admit that he was a beaten man and that our club had been dealt a killer blow?
I think some of the hacks do expect at least a tired shake of the head and some sort of confession that he was stumped, that perhaps we should have moved in for the guy … ha!
Our manager did not of that of course, and nor would we have expected him to.
Instead his answer was not only perfect, but in its way it was kind of beautiful.
It was a warning shot across the Ibrox bow, it was a slap at some in the media who are indulging in gushing fan-boy garbage and it was a reminder that they don’t know their business like they think they do.
“I don’t spend a lot of time focusing on what other clubs are doing,” he said first off.
It was a perfect beginning to his answer.
“For us, it’s about how we build our squad, and if we’re building a squad that can be successful then that’s the most important thing.”
And then he delivered the real kicking, although he was clearly enjoying the moment.
This was not angry Ange or weary Ange or snappy Ange. The interview was with Sky Sports, an Englishman, and not one of the desperados up here so he knew there was no agenda.
Nevertheless, he wanted to get his point across, and he did.
“Any time opposition sides bring in players and strengthen, it makes the competition better. But with all these things, no-one had heard of Kyogo Furuhashi before I brought him in. It’s all about the impact you make when you play. Signing players is not an exact science as we’ve found out. It’s more about performances. That’s when I take notice, when new signings make an impact on the field rather than when they sign.”
Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Let those words ring out to every dreadful Scottish sports journalist. Our signings have already started to perform, and that’s when you know what somebody can do.
The rest is white noise. The rest is nonsense.
Hype doesn’t win football matches, far less league titles.
Ange is not in the least bit impressed or scared or any of the other things some of our rivals imagined.
He’s focussed, confident and we’re ready to rock and roll.
His attitude is “bring it on.”
?? New signings ??
?? Daizen Maeda ?
?? Having fans back for the derby ?
?? The title race ?
?? Could Callum McGregor be fit? ?Hear from Ange Postecoglou ahead of the Celtic vs Rangers tomorrow, live on Sky Sports ? pic.twitter.com/d4EzFEQmDW
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) February 1, 2022
What it all boils down to James IMO it is we have an astute Manager in Ange. In his nobody heard of Kyogo reply he could have easily said, ‘nobody heard of me much til i arrived. Such is the way our press like to promote the bling in one side, yet ignore the real work on our side. The real no nonsense signings that will get the treatment but will fling it back at them in deeds, not headline cup winning reality.