Former Celtic hero Didier Agathe has stated that he sees similarities between current Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou and Martin O’Neill.
Agathe played for the club between 2000-2006, joining under O’Neill after catching his eye with his form at previous club, Hibernian.
The hard-working winger was converted to a wing-back under the stewardship of the popular ex-Hoops boss and played his part in a successful period in the club’s history.
Over 15 years on from his time as a player at Parkhead, the 47-year-old still keeps a watchful eye over the club.
Speaking in a recent interview, the former Celtic and Aston Villa man expressed how impressed he was with Ange Postecoglou and what he had achieved during his first year in the dugout, and believes that his side will come out on top in this Saturday’s Glasgow Derby.
Agathe even went as far as to say he can see the similarities between Postecoglou and his ex-boss Martin O’Neill, who remains a popular figure amongst supporters to this day.
He said [Sun Sport]: “The charisma of Postecoglou is very important for Celtic. He is a leader. He reminds me of Martin O’Neill and the way he was during my time at the club.
“They both have the personality to lead the club; they know what it takes to do the job and how to speak to the players. Martin was amazing at that, and so is the current Celtic manager. You can see the team is playing for him.
“I have been so impressed by Postecoglou in the last year. It is incredible what he has achieved. And he has done it all without bringing any of his own coaches with him too. That is very unusual in football, but he has shown he is a top-class manager, and I can only see more success for Celtic this season.
“They are playing well, they are scoring goals, and there is a connection with the team and the supporters — just like we had under Martin.“I believe that Celtic will win on Saturday. Rangers are a strong team, but Postecoglou has Celtic playing amazing football.”
Agathe pays Ange Postecoglou huge compliment with Martin O’Neill comparisons.
This statement from Agathe is a huge compliment to Ange Postecoglou and just goes to show how good a job the 57-year-old has done in just 12 months at Celtic.
In making the comparison between O’Neill and Postecoglou, I am not sure Agathe is that far wrong either, with both men having their similarities.
Of course, there is also a lot that is different about both managers, such as their style of play, with the game having advanced so much across the last few decades.
However, there is no doubting that O’Neill and Postecoglou had huge impacts around the club, bringing trophy success back after a disappointing spell before their arrivals.
So far, we have only seen one season of the impact of Ange Postecoglou and his Celtic squad. So, there is still a long way to go before we make further comparison’s between the two men.
But, the former Socceroos boss is heading in the right direction to be remembered by the Celtic support for a very long time, should his side continue to improve and play the impressive attacking football we have seen.
In other news, “We support each other” – Anthony Ralston discusses important aspect of Celtic Park dressing room.
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