Fox Sports A-League analyst Andy Harper believes that Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou would put EPL rivals “to shame” if he moves to England.
Postecoglou is still well into the early days of his reign as Celtic boss. The Greek-Australian arrived without many in Scotland knowing much about him. But whilst his J-League success with Yokohama Marinos was well documented enough, he had gathered a strong reputation in his homeland long before that.
The former Yokohama boss worked wonders with the likes of Brisbane Roar and the Australia national team. He’s considered to be the most successful Australian manager in history already. No surprises then that they’re already talking him up for an EPL move.
Fox Sports’ Harper, who played over 320 games in the A-League during a 15-year career, is certainly one of the leading figures of the Postecogloy hype train.
As quoted by the Daily Mail Australia, Harper said: “I have no doubt that he is capable of coaching at that level – and he would put most of the ones who are there now to shame. He’s not some cookie-cutter coach doing a job to survive until the next TV paycheque arrives. He’s different, he plays to his own rules. There aren’t many like that in the EPL – Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds is one.
“There is an electricity about them that us mere mortals can’t explain. I believe that Ange holds a mirror up to Australian culture. some like the reflection, some don’t.
“He is the embodiment of what Australians think our culture is; that bungy-jumping ‘I’ll try anything once’ mentality. He coaches to that, but the truth is the closer some people get to the bungy tower they get nervous. They say, ‘you know what? I think I’d rather sit on the bus and take photos.’ That’s how it has been with Ange. He coaches his teams to play in a way that is good to watch, but it is also the way he believes is the best way to win. He believes in unlocking the human capital of his players.”
Ange Postecoglou to the EPL? Seems a long way to go just yet
You can see why this is a topical subject at the moment. With Steven Gerrard leaving Rangers for Aston Villa, it’s something that’s been firmly put into the spotlight. Would the best managers in Scottish football simply take the first opportunity that comes up in England?
Gerrard has gone to Villa just as Brendan Rodgers departed for Leicester at the first sniff of an EPL job. Granted, Rodgers certainly got by far the higher-profile and more fruitful job offer there. But the truth is that he still left as soon as the offer hit his desk.
If Postecoglou is successful in Scotland, it’ll become a question of when and not if he gets an EPL offer. That’s just what happens when you’re flying up here. There will always be an offer for you. We know better than to claim he’ll be at Parkhead for the next 5-10 years. The days of that are long gone.
But it’s also important to recognise that he still has a long way to go before he receives that opportunity. He remains a massive unknown down south and indeed across European football as a whole. He’ll need massive success in Scotland combined with making a splash in Europe before he can consider his next move.
The prospect of becoming the first Australian to manager in the EPL would be a groundbreaking thing for both himself and Aussie coaches. So it’s likely a step he views himself as making in the long-term. That’s fine. Celtic will be prepared for that.
But it’s a long time away now, and as popular as Ange is back home, he’s still got plenty to prove in Scotland.
In other news, Report: The ridiculous Scotland role that will likely be handed to Celtic man Anthony Ralston
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
