Celtic didn’t play well on Thursday night away to Bodo/Glimt but one of the players who came out of the encounter with a bit of credit was winger Liel Abada.
The attacker came off the bench at half-time and added a real spark to the Celtic performance The Bhoys’ second half was much improved on the opening 45 minutes and Abada was a big part of it.
He even got himself into some good shooting positions but failed to take any of his chances in front of goal.
While recognising Abada added something, Ange Postecoglou doesn’t want him to settle for that. He’s expecting much more.
Speaking to The Scottish Sun [26/02 print edition, page 70], the Celtic boss said: “Liel did well, but he missed some chances.
“That’s the quality we want them to get to and that’s his challenge because I think he could have gotten at least a couple of goals in Norway.
“That’s what I am talking about with levels of performance. It’s not just we didn’t play well, but in both matches, we’ve had chances and haven’t tested the goalkeeper.
“Liel did very well but I’m hoping he’s disappointed he didn’t score a couple because he’s scored in Europe before.”
Some may see this as a little harsh but I reckon it’s just honest. Ange isn’t trying to take away from Abada’s excellent debut season.
Postecoglou wants his young players to learn from their missteps and judge themselves against the highest standards.
So while Abada may take some personal pride from a bright impact on Thursday night, the manager is right, he should be disappointed.
That’s how you develop players into winners and as long as this constructive feedback doesn’t dent their confidence, it’s fine to hear honesty. Postecoglou often does it in the perfect way publicly, so no doubt it’s the same behind the scenes.
In other news, Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou steps up and takes responsibility.
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