Jim Goodwin takes aim at Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou but completely misses the mark

By John McGinley

December 23, 2022

Jim Goodwin has taken aim at Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou today, hitting back at comments about lumping the Bhoys in with Rangers all the time.

Postecoglou made it clear earlier this week he was tired of the media and coaches consistently treating Celtic as the same kind of test as going up against Rangers after a furore regarding Aberdeen’s tactics against the Bhoys last weekend.

The Celtic manager was actually one of the few to back up Goodwin in the media over the last seven days, defending his right to set out a team with a stifling style in the hope of getting a result.

Despite that, Goodwin appears irked by Postecoglou’s assessment, offering a patronising view that the Celtic boss should study the history books.

As quoted by The Daily Record, the Aberdeen manager said: “I’m not sure why anyone would take offence to a remark like that but I just made the point Celtic and Rangers have dominated the league table for years. I don’t know the last time anyone outwith those two won the league. Is it 37 years? Maybe you can explain that to Ange and tell him that is what I meant.

“Unfortunately Celtic and Rangers have run away with the league for the last 37 years. He is only here a short time so maybe he just needs to look back and see what history tells him. In terms of comparing Celtic and Rangers, they have two different styles of play, two different managers but they are both very good teams.

“Ange has got his side playing a very attacking, entertaining and energetic style of football. Michael Beale is a new manager and will maybe take a bit more time to implement his ideas. I’m a little bit bemused as to why he’d be disappointed with that.”

It seems that Goodwin has heard what Postecoglou is saying but isn’t really listening. The Celtic boss’ entire point was that it’s reductive, and indeed harmful for smaller sides, to consistently treat Celtic the same as Rangers despite history.

Football matches are won in the here and now with nuances and tactical subtleties able to change a team’s fortunes regardless of reputation or what’s gone before. Publicly talking about the monolithic challenge of facing Celtic and Rangers as a collective is silly.

But if ears are closed, so be it. It’s just amusing to see a manager such as Goodwin try to offer a lesson to Postecoglou.

In other news, Report: Liel Abada set for Celtic contract talks.