Ange Postecoglou was a brave man when he got offered the Celtic job. He arrived in Glasgow without his family in the middle of a global pandemic with no familiar staff or allies to help him along.
He genuinely walked into Lennoxtown on his own and set about changing the fortunes of the club after a dreadful season – with half a team walking out the door.
It’s something that’s often puzzled pundits about Postecoglou. The recognised normality when a new manager joins a club is that he at least has a small entourage of trusted people to help out.
Some accused Celtic of being cheap or not backing the Australian. However, it’s clear from his recent interview with Open Goal that was far from the case.
Asked about why he doesn’t have his ‘own’ staff at Lennoxtown, Postecoglou said: “I haven’t done that in my whole career. Everywhere I’ve gone I’ve always worked with different people. It just depends on your personality. My thing is that I enjoy the challenge of convincing people to my way of playing the game. I could take a crew of people around with him and that would make me comfortable or probably a little bit lazy.
“From the first day I walked in here, there are some really bright guys in the building, I had to say to them we’re doing it this way. I’ll tell you why and I’ll get you to believe in it. That keeps me sharp and constantly making sure my message is super clear. I love the fact that I walked in here from the other side of the world by myself and, before I convinced anyone else, I had to convince the people in that building I was the right person for the job.
“There’s always going to be some sort of hesitation. It’s only natural. That’s my challenge. In the past sometimes that hasn’t worked out and pretty soon after I got the role I’ve had to move people on.
“I say as soon as I walk in the door anywhere that resistance just doesn’t work with me. I’m not going to change. Nothing is going to happen while I’m here – there’s no result or no pressure that is going to change me or the way I play my football. You’re never going to stop this bus. I made that pretty clear at the start, not in a way that’s my way or the highway, but I want people to believe in it.
“To be fair to the guys here they’ve been really open and have embraced it on and off the field. That’s why it has turned around as quickly as it has.”
It’s typically great stuff from the manager that gives the rest of us an insight into his persuasive man-management skills, not just with players but also the rest of the staff at Lennoxtown.
In my view, you’d have to be a pretty dull, sad person not to heavily buy into what Postecoglou is selling. Most Celtic supporters would run through brick walls for him at this point and they don’t even work with him on a day-to-day basis!
Thankfully it seems like everyone at the club has gotten behind him so he can enact the change he wants at Celtic. There’s been no sliver of disharmony from the Bhoys camp since Postecoglou walked in the door.
Long may it continue.
In other news, “I think he’s 100% right”; Prem boss backs Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou on baffling media issue.
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