Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has eloquently explained why he does not go down the route of rising to the comments or actions of others before big matches – stating that his motivations are purely sporting ones.
There has been a lot of noise coming out of Rangers over the last few months, from their players and the manager insisting they would have won the league last season had Steven Gerrard stayed, to Fashion Sakala stating they are ‘so much better’ than Celtic – it was utter nonsense.
Yet, if any of it was designed to wind Celtic up or get into their heads, they were barking up the wrong tree.
“I don’t need words to fire me up”
Postecoglou spoke to The Herald about the narrative of getting revenge, stating: “There is a real fixation on you having to hate and you having to want revenge and you having to be vindictive. I get it. I don’t think it’s unique to this city. But it just doesn’t get my juices going.
“I get so much more excited by beating teams I think are really good and are managed by managers I respect who are on the top of their game. That is what gets me going. I don’t need words to fire me up or to hate the opposition or the opposition manager to get motivated. It is not what drives me.
“I have been pretty clear about what is going to motivate this group of players – it is about rising to the challenge of being the best football team you can be on a weekly basis. If you need these extra things to get motivated that is where you fall into the trap. You are going to have off weeks. What happens when somebody doesn’t get you motivated because they haven’t said anything nasty about you?
“It is just not the way I am wired. That is part of the landscape here. But, for me, I get really motivated by trying to be the best. If I am up against an opponent who I think is good then I am up for that contest.”
Ange has his Celtic team laser-focused
Celtic quietly went about their business in the lead-up to the final. Nobody bit on what was being said, nor were they disrespectful to Rangers. They just got the head down, turned up at Hampden and got the job done. That’s what we want.
It would be box office for many media outlets, probably including this one if I’m honest, if Celtic were getting into a war of words with Rangers. It’d probably be entertaining for fans too. But I am glad Celtic aren’t doing this, because I think their attitude is conducive to more success and more great times for supporters and, ultimately, that’s what I want most.
Let others lose the head. We’ll pick up the trophies.
In other news, Chris Sutton lauds ‘incredible’ bargain buys Ange Postecoglou is delivering at Celtic.
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