Ange Postecoglou has stated that he wants to ensure Celtic have an edge over everyone next season when it comes to the sport science side of football.
One of the main criticisms of the Hoops this season has been their physical fragility. Our failure to overcome even a shred of adversity on the pitch has been a real problem. We at times looked totally burnt out in the second half of matches, with key players holding questionable fitness concerns.
Even more frustrating was how we succumbed to the same frailties time and again. Too many players would pick up injuries whilst we again had individuals often being taken off on the hour mark due to a lack of fitness.
But Postecoglou stated it’ll be his goal to make Celtic stronger on the sport science and analytical side of football than any of our rivals this season.
“Our edge was in sport science”
Speaking at the fan media event on Friday, Ange said: “The one challenge I’ve had being on the other side of the world where people don’t rate the football that great, I always try to get an edge any way I could. So when I was coaching the Australian national team and we were at the World Cup playing against the Netherlands, they’ve got Van Persie and Robben up front and we’ve got players who aren’t playing at that level.
“Where could we get that edge? Our edge was in sport science, in analytics. I’ve been smart enough on the way to know that if I get the best people around me in those areas it definitely gives you an edge.
“That’s going to be a massive part. For me, I want to look at the other areas of the club (outside of coaching) and make sure we are absolutely at best practice. That’s where I want us to have an edge over everyone else.”
Postecoglou has a wealth of talent at Celtic; it’s all about how it’s managed
We would all agree last season that Celtic had a talented squad. You couldn’t look at the players it contained and come to any other conclusion. It was jam-packed with quality that simply wasn’t managed properly.
How much Neil Lennon in particular embraced sports science is questionable. He’s always been an old-fashioned coach. And whilst Celtic may have had staff at the club working on it, it’s ultimately down to the manager to take it in and make the best decisions possible from it.
That Postecoglou has openly stated that he’ll make sport science a priority is promising. It’s the way of the modern game and the best chance he’ll have of positively utilising his squad.
We’ve certainly had too many injuries to a variety of different players over the last 12 months. This is where sport science in particular can play a huge role.
It should ensure our best players remain fitter for longer periods of time. Thus helping Postecoglou get the most out of his key stars. How many injury blows did we receive heading into big games last season? It was infuriating, and something that needs addressing.
Fingers crossed Ange backs up his words here. From the outside looking in, it was never something Lennon put too much importance in.
In other news, Dom McKay is ready to sanction Celtic squad investment after strong season ticket sales.
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