Former Brisbane Roar midfielder Thomas Broich has opened up on his experiences of working with Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou.
The German midfielder, who also turned out for Borussia Monchengladbach, spent seven years in Brisbane, where he ultimately finished his career.
Broich arrived at the club after being signed by Ange Postecoglou in 2010 and was part of the famous side who were dubbed ‘Roarcelona’ for the football that they played and their impact on Australian football.
The midfielder went on to lift back-to-back championships under Postecoglou in 2011 and 2012. But that success wasn’t something that Broich had always seen coming.
Speaking in an interview with Australian outlet Keep Up, the former Brisbane Roar man opened up on the impact Ange had on the club.
Broich stated that it wasn’t all smooth sailing to begin with, but with Postecoglou’s persistence and hard work, it led to success. It certainly sounds like a very familiar story to Celtic fans.
He said: “We had a tough pre-season. We lost a lot of matches. The new style wasn’t easy to adapt to. The learning curve for the team was a steep one.
“Ange, from the beginning, was very demanding. You don’t get the proof of concept straight away. His idea of football was demanding of us, but as footballers, if it doesn’t work straight away, we’re very critical of any approach, really.
“When we found ourselves struggling, he had to do a lot of convincing. It was really because of him being that relentless in that pursuit; he was so uncompromising, he created that success in the end.
He continued: “As a player, you’re kind of looking for the easy option, the easy way out. It’s so challenging to play out from the back under pressure when the opposition is playing a full-on press. If they commit six or seven men and put you under pressure from the goal kick.
“Yet Ange was so uncompromising. There was no Plan B; there was only playing out from the back, we weren’t allowed to just kick a long ball. He was happy to accept mistakes.
“He was exactly the opposite. He’s like, nah, I’ll take the blame. You just do what I’m telling you do to, and I’ll take the blame for it. That to me made all the difference.”
Familiar story for Ange Postecoglou no matter where he goes
Over the past 12 months, we have heard from many ex-players who have worked with Ange, and they all have nothing but good things to say about the 56-year old.
There is also a common theme with the majority of sides Postecoglou spends time with, and that is success.
Postecoglou has delivered trophies in Australia, Japan, on the international stage, and of course, Scotland.
There is no doubting that he had a stuttering start to life in Glasgow. However, the club was also undergoing one of its biggest-ever rebuilds.
Despite the challenges faced, Postecoglou was still able to deliver a league and cup double, playing some of the best-attacking football we have seen in recent years.
It is fascinating to hear this sort of insight from Thomas Broich as it will be similar to the workings of the Celtic manager within the Parkhead dressing room.
Hopefully, we are able to see the continued success that Postecoglou has enjoyed at the likes of Brisbane Roar, heading into next season.
In other news, Report: Celtic-linked Lee Buchanan caught up in contract uncertainty with Derby.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
