Ange Postecoglou has given Celtic supporters insight into his last-minute preparations for taking charge of the Bhoys at Hampden today.
Fans have great intrigue when it comes to how the manager deals with his players on matchday.
The club have posted snippets of his team talks and training before, giving us a glimpse of the kind of motivation he uses to get the best out of his squad.
Asked about how he’ll approach today, Postecoglou told The Daily Record: “I’ll find a quiet corner and read something to pass the time. It’s just to make sure I’m prepared. I gather my thoughts for what’s coming up.
“Once the game starts, my role is to be as observant as possible. I have to make sure that if there’s anything out there I can help the players with, I’m sharp in my mind to deal with it. So that time before the game is used as preparation for that. It’s what I’ve done since the start of my managerial career and it’s my own way of preparing for games.
“Was the League Cup Final speech planned or off the cuff? A bit of both. Whenever I speak to my players, it’s important that whatever information I give is relevant to the moment.
“I have to understand the mood and know what the players may or may not require. I don’t speak to the players a lot but when I do I try to make sure they get my message. Because whether it’s in the final moments before the game or the lead up to it, my role is to try to provide some guidance to them – whether that’s in a football sense or for the actual occasion itself. It’s a little bit of preparation on my part but also, from my experience, what I feel the room needs.”
Postecoglou has said before he doesn’t spend much time in the dressing room before matches. He leaves the players to it and allows them to go through their own preparations.
The manager will then go in five or ten minutes prior to kick-off and give his final messages before kick-off.
It’s a good way of handling it all and forging team spirit. There are enough leaders in that group to help get the Bhoys up for matches anyway.
Hopefully Postecoglou’s lauded man-management skills pay off again today!
In other news, Barry Ferguson is a worried man this morning as he frets over Celtic advantage.
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