Ange Postecoglou had to deal with a horrific run of injuries during his early tenure as the Celtic manager.
Posteocoglou’s brand of high-tempo and relentless attacking football made Celtic’s medical department work overtime in the first six months of the Australian’s reign.
Injuries to key players like Kyogo Furuhashi, David Turnbull and Callum McGregor in the first few months of his start at Celtic made Postecoglou’s job seriously difficult.
That led to Celtic hiring Anton McElhone as the new Head of Sports Science as the club looked to address the injury issues at Parkhead before they turned into a crisis.
And now, McElhone has described how Postecoglou used the Sports Science department and it should be a lesson to current Rangers boss, Philippe Clement.
Celtic’s Sports Science team never dictated to Ange Postecoglou
Clement has come under fire for religiously sticking with the advice the Ibrox Sports Science department has given him this season and how it has influenced his first-team decision-making.
That was never an issue at Celtic as McElhone explains how the medical department at the club, although listened to, was not the deal-breaker when it came to making big team selection calls under Postecoglou.
McElhone told the Monday Night Club [30m], “So listen, Ange is all about, give me the numbers, give me the facts. His job is to make the decisions. That’s what he gets paid for.
“That’s not up to us as sports science staff. Never is, never will be. The managers that I’ve worked with, top, top managers will make the decisions. It’s not up to us to dictate. That is not our job. Our job is to support, give the information and give the facts and figures.
“If it is dangerous, again, you would use the head of medical to stay clear from it.”
Ange Postecoglou’s 2022 League Cup final ‘decision’ Rangers boss Philippe Clement could learn from
“For example, with Ange in year one,” McElhone continued, “Kyogo Furuhashi was injured going into the League Cup final. He had a Grade 2 B hamstring injury.
“The manager spoke to myself, head of medical, can we get the player fit and available for the game? It’s a big risk. The player wanted to play. We took the risk. We had done the right strategies to try and get the player there. But it was the manager’s choice.
“He would decide whether he starts the game, whether he comes off. So for example, most players, and I think Ange has spoken about it, you’re coming back, maybe your first game, you may play 60 minutes, for example. So Kyogo Furuhashi, we were in the League Cup final, it’s Ange’s first trophy if he can win it, we’re 1-0 down in 60 minutes.
“Kyogo Furuhashi scores two goals. Ange is the boss. He will take the decision to take the player off even if he’s been given the advice, that’s his job because he is the leader at the end of the day of the club and for us, it’s to support.
“And again, it’s his job that’s on the line. Ange is his own man. I think he is an exceptional leader and very strong in understanding and has a good background in sports science and education from Australia. So he’s very comfortable in dealing with the facts and the figures.”
Postecoglou’s relationship with the Sports Science department was the difference between Celtic winning silverware in his first season and not.
The Hoops won the Scottish Premiership title and then a subsequent treble due to the working relationship the Celtic manager had with the medical department.
If Philippe Clement showed that type of backbone and made his own decisions then maybe, just maybe, the Rangers boss wouldn’t be under so much scrutiny this season.
But then, this is just another example of how big the gap is between Celtic and Rangers really is when looking at how decisions are made behind the scenes at both clubs over recent years.
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