Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou was in a typically fine mood ahead of his Bhoys side returning to Tynecastle to face Hearts tomorrow night.
Postecoglou infamously suffered defeat against Hearts as Celtic began the league under the Greek-Aussie boss. In every game since, the Hoops have overcome the Jambos, winning in the Premier Sports Cup and the league. The most recent meeting was a tense 1-0, with Kyogo scoring the winner.
You could forgive Ange for having reservations about returning to Tynecastle, especially with fewer Celtic supporters in attendance than seasons prior. However, he emphatically does not care about what’s happened there before.
Asked whether tomorrow would be a marker of Celtic’s progress under Ange Postecoglou, the manager said [Celtic FC]: “It’s the fourth time we’re playing them.
“When does the statute of limitations expire on… so [being back at Tynecastle] is when it expires? Okay, thanks for that. Thank you.
“Yeah obviously, look; it was a different start for us. There’s no point regurgitating everything that went on at that time. We kind of know the situation we were in, what we had to deal with. Players coming in, going out. It was a very sort of, less than settled period for us. I still thought we performed okay on the day, we lost narrowly. But obviously it wasn’t a great way to start the league.
“We’re a different team now, we have been for quite a while to be fair. It’s the fourth time we’ve played them, so we kind of know what we’re going to get.”
Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou in jokey mood, but he’ll surely be keen to correct an early defeat
Given what we’ve seen from Hearts this season, a win tomorrow would be huge. Not only because of the league permeations, but from a psychological point of view. It’d see off Hearts for good this season, while also correcting an early wrong from Ange’s tenure at Celtic.
That, and the injuries we have, make this a tricky away trip. Aren’t they always?
There’ll be more than a few Celtic players who want revenge. Why shouldn’t they? That Celtic team just hadn’t quite clicked yet, not like we saw in subsequent weeks. Ironically, Hearts found out what could happen when the Hoops started firing on all cylinders.
Recent form should give us confidence. Even then, that dressing room will be sparking with electricity tomorrow night. While yes, plenty of the team hadn’t arrived by the Hearts game, they’ll understand what’s at stake, from a morale perspective. Those that did play and will play tomorrow night should be aching to quiet down the Hearts fans, even with three more wins against them in subsequent meetings.
A win at Tynecastle is always extra-satisfying. The experienced campaigners in the squad will know that, and be sending that message out.
For Ange, it’s about keeping his head and maintaining the attitude from the press conference throughout tomorrow. We’re a different team from the opening day.
Time to give ample evidence of that.
Read more: Rivals suffer significant injury setback ahead of Celtic Park meeting
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