Chris Sutton compares Celtic boss Postecoglou to Del Trotter in unique compliment

By Euan Davidson

March 26, 2022

Willie Malley, Jock Stein, Billy McNeill, Martin O’Neill, Brendan Rodgers, Del Trotter; the lineage of great Celtic managers really is incredible.

Except, hang on – far as we can recall, Only Fools and Horses character Del Boy wasn’t ever in the Celtic dugout. Unless there was a lost episode, anyway. Chris Sutton, however, has drawn on his sitcom knowledge to make a worthy comparison for Ange Postecoglou.

Yep; while suggesting Ange Postecoglou ought to receive Manager of the Year honours for the turnaround at Celtic, he compared the situation Ange inherited to that of Giovanni van Bronckhorst. Rangers were, sadly, well ahead of us when the Greek-Aussie boss took over the vacant hot-seat at Celtic Park.

If you can’t see where we’re going with this, we’ll let Chris Sutton take over [Daily Record]: “Postecoglou was walking into an alien environment and he had to turn around the squad and the mood.

“Not only has he done it, he might just be about to win the title along with it. Even if he doesn’t, it has been some turnaround. Let’s face it, no-one, including me, gave him a hope of overcoming Rangers in his first season.

“Postecoglou has brought a brand of football which is exciting, he has signed a raft of players such as Kyogo Furuhashi, Jota and Liel Abada who have lit up the season in Scotland and he has rejuvenated an institution which was in serious trouble.

“…having been so far ahead last term, this season should have been an open goal for Rangers.

“Postecoglou took over Del Trotter’s three-wheeler while van Bronckhorst was grabbing hold of a Lamborghini.”

Ange Postecoglou has been compared to many people since he came to Celtic, but Chris Sutton using Del Trotter for reference is a new one

Full disclosure, this section of the article was nearly titled “There’s just one thing driving Rangers berserk, why does Postecoglou’s football work?”.

You’re welcome for the restraint.

In fairness, Chris Sutton has made an apt comparison here. Giovanni van Bronckhorst took over a pretty well-engineered Rangers side. Their title win last season was emphatic, and heartbreaking, in equal measure.

Perhaps Ange Postecoglou has, indeed, shown the enterprise of the Only Fools and Horses character. However, Postecoglou hasn’t had us entering anything like the kind of farce we’d expect from Del Boy. No falling through the bar, so much as rising to the top of Scottish football (again, full disclosure, sorry for this).

Whether Manager of the Year honours will matter to Celtic boss Postecoglou is another thing. Certainly, his Manager of the Month awards are dominating space in his Lennoxtown office. He’s probably in the driver’s seat, even if he inherited a three-wheeler.

It’s a fun daydream though. Is John Kennedy Rodney, in this situation?

Granted, we reckon Ange Postecoglou is more of a Seinfeld guy. Serenity now!

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