Ange Postecoglou recognises that Celtic are far from the finished product despite yesterday’s win away to Jablonec.
It was the first competitive victory under the new manager and there were some really positive signs from the team, especially in attack.
However, some of the same old failings were apparent, notably an openness at the back and some defensive errors.
Postecoglou is more than happy to own up to that. He has also insisted that team cohesion will come in time.
Speaking to The Scottish Daily Mail [06/08 print edition, page 91] after the match, the Bhoys boss said: “We just didn’t control the game as well as we could have after 35 minutes of the game. Defensively, we were really open but part of the reason is that we gave the ball away unnecessarily. We were just making poor choices.
“A whole range of aspects left the game really open which allowed them to score a couple of goals. We still had chances, but it’s not the way I want us to play.”
When asked how it will be fixed, Postecoglou continued: “Just keep working on what we’ve been working on, keep improving it. Keep the players focused on what’s important. We had Kyogo’s first start, Joe Hart’s first start, Carl’s (Starfelt) second start. There’s a whole range of reasons why the cohesion isn’t quite there yet.
“This group has been together for maybe ten days. So I don’t want to be too hard on the players. But I want to make sure we are really honest with our analysis of our games. Tonight I thought we had a very, very good 35 minutes but after that, we can improve.”
Postecoglou owning up to Celtic flaws continues to be refreshing
It’s heartening that the boss doesn’t want to gloss over deficiencies, even in victory. It’s possible to both recognise last night as a well earned victory, as well as slightly worrying from a defensive perspective.
But Postecoglou is right. This is still a team in its infancy. Other players are still to come into the team, such as James McCarthy. The new players starting have only just arrived.
There are positive signs we’re building towards something both functional and exciting. I just hope it doesn’t take too long to get us there.
In other news, Sky Sports provide update on Aurelio Buta to Celtic.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
