Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou provides fascinating insight into his footballing mentality

By David Walton

January 2, 2022

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou delivered a top-class insight into his mentality and view on football, as well as his ultimate goal at Parkhead.

The Hoops boss was speaking in an interview carried out by Sky Sports taped earlier this season. The interview was broadcast in full for the first time on Sky Sports Football this morning.

Ange spoke about subjects such as his father’s influence on his life as well as his connection with the values of Celtic. However, he also took time to provide some brilliant remarks on his outlook on football and management in general.

And as he continue to wow Celtic fans on and off the park, Ange was in fine form in what at times felt like an emotional interview for him. Speaking via Sky Sports Football [02/01, 8:09am], Ange said: “I created this world for myself and it all revolved around football. Even as a 6, 7. 8-year-old, all I read about, watched, and talked about was football. And not just playing it – I think that was the difference with me – a lot of my friends played it but didn’t have that interest. I was obsessed with the game.

“Every meaningful relationship I have in my life, everything good has come from football. I’ve never seen it as a job. I’ve never seen it as something where I can make a living or set myself up in some way. It’s always meant something more to me. I’ve had such a blessed life where I’ve travelled the world with the most unbelievable people. I’ve shared experiences with friends and strangers that I could never have envisaged in my life and all because of football.

“I know we’re in a ruthless business where results count for everything – I get that. I think people just don’t understand that with me, it’s never just about winning, it’s never just about having success. It’s about putting smiles on people’s faces, doing things that are memorable well beyond my tenure. Wherever I’ve gone I’ve tried to create something that people will talk about, not because of me, but because I know I was part of that. I’ll continue to do that until the end of my career. People will always say it’s just about winning, but for me, football is so much more important than that.”

Ange Postecoglou wants to create a Celtic legacy to remember

The critics will say that winning is indeed everything at Celtic. That it doesn’t matter how nice a man you are, failure to bring trophies to Parkhead will result in the fans turning on you. We can’t argue with the realism of that outlook. But when you have the values and mindset of Postecoglou, it certainly makes you a lot more relatable to the Celtic support.

Of course we want to see this team achieve instant success. If Ange hasn’t won the title within a couple of years he’ll likely be out the door just like any manager would. But there’s a way to conduct yourself that will keep fans onside for as long as possible. And Ange certainly both practices and preaches it.

His goal for Celtic is clear. It’s not about winning every single trophy possibly on offer. It’s about creating unforgettable moments. Bringing supporters together to appreciate a total footballing team that will be remembered for its style and not just its competition wins.

Of course, time will tell whether Ange can actually achieve his vision here. Being relatable and humble doesn’t guarantee success. There will be major challenges that he’ll come up against as he already has done, and he’ll need to see those challenges through.

The early signs are positive, but there remain plenty of questions that need to be asked of this Celtic side. Questions that can only be answered via continued performances and results.

You can’t deny the progress already made with a trophy already in the bag. Now, it’s time to strap ourselves in for what will no doubt be an electric second half of the campaign. A second half that will, even at this early stage of his Celtic tenure, play a big part in whether Ange achieves his ultimate goal here.

In other news, Report: Bodo/Glimt set to lose yet another key player before Celtic tie