Ange Postecoglou has prevented need for key Celtic staff hire says former coach

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Former Celtic midfielder and coach Peter Grant is hugely impressed with the work Ange Postecoglou is doing at the club, claiming there is no director of football needed when the Australian is around.

Postecoglou came into the club with a massive amount of player recruitment to do, with little time for planning and zero time for mistakes.

He’s now led the Bhoys to the top of the Scottish Premiership with 11 games remaining, way ahead of where most observers thought Celtic would be less than a year into his reign.

Speaking to The Sunday Mail [20/02 print edition, page 66] this weekend, Grant was effusive with his praise, stating: “He believed things would come good when he got the right players in and they got used to playing his way. He’s also the first Celtic manager in a long time – probably since Martin O’Neill – who has the final say on signings and that’s very important.

“He’s old school and you don’t need a director of football when he’s around.

“Ange has put this jigsaw together almost from scratch. When they beat Rangers 3-0 at the start of this month, nine of the starting XI were new signings – so were two of the subs. You can also add Ben Doak, the 16-year-old he gave a debut to, so this is very much the team that Ange built.

“As a manager, you’d happily take it if half of your signings did well but all of the players he’s brought in have done him a turn. I can’t think of another manager who has transformed a club and a team so completely in such a short space of time.”

It’s easy to see what Grant means with regards to a director of football or sporting director. But what happens in the long-term? What happens when, one day in the distant future, Postecoglou leaves Celtic?

Managers like Ange Postecoglou, who carry authority and a unifying aura, aren’t easy to find. For continuity and planning at Celtic, having a director of football in place might not be the worst thing in the world.

Right now, it isn’t a priority and I’m comfortable with that. Postecoglou has said he’s comfortable with that. There’s a lot going on at the club right now that is focused on the next few months.

From the summer onwards though, Celtic may well find this debate comes back to the forefront.

In other news, Dundee United release statement on Celtic fixture delay; SFA could have big decision to make.