You can say plenty of things about Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou.
Ambitious? Undoubtedly. Charismatic? We’d argue so, even if his wife would disagree. Tactically resolute and a proponent of exciting, fast-paced football?
You bet. But “weird” isn’t necessarily a word we’d use for Ange Postecoglou. If anything, he’s remarkably normal, the kind of guy who’d talk your ear off about football in the pub, who’s also managed at a World Cup. His refusal to get carried away one direction or the other – too high or too low after results – is something Ange reckons people have a hard time reckoning with.
This was exemplified at certain points this season. Mainly, when Celtic regained control at the top of the table, or after disappointing early results in his tenure at the club. Ange Postecoglou explains [Scotsman]: “I guess people find it a bit sort of weird that I don’t react to [points dropped], and that’s where people are a little bit confused by it.
“It’s not because I don’t think that sort of reaction happens if we don’t play well, or we don’t get the result that people expect us to get, or that I want people to not be passionate or emotional about it. That’s not the case, when you are so invested in something then obviously you are going to get extreme reactions.
“Our job, as we have done and as I have said all along, has been to remember that we are building a team here. Irrespective of our position in the table or our success or otherwise, that’s where we are at. We’re still building.”
Why would Ange Postecoglou visibly panic when Celtic drop points?
It wouldn’t exactly serve Celtic well if Ange Postecoglou was ranting and raving after dropped points. It’s not as if Ange Postecoglou isn’t passionate, though.
It’s hard to see what critics would want from him. For headline writers, it’d be easy if he was throwing players under the bus, or making wild declarations after more disappointing results. However, it wouldn’t actually serve the the team well, it would make supporters uneasy, and it would look as if he wasn’t in control.
It’s in the substance of what he says; therein lies the passion and the reaction. Of course he doesn’t like it if Celtic drop points, and you can bet he lets the players know about it. He’s right, though; we’re still very much in a progression stage here.
If Celtic can secure the league, it would be an enormous triumph. It’d be something that, even with the history and reputation of the club in mind, would represent the strength of Ange Postecoglou as a manager, considering what he walked into.
Even if we do, though, it seems unlikely that Ange’s approach will change. He just wants this to be the best football team possible.
Read more: “An annoying time”: Ryan Christie was agonising over summer Celtic exit
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
