Martin O’Neill has discussed the appointment of Ange Postecoglou to Celtic for the first time live on Australian TV.
Postecoglou was confirmed as the new permanent manager several weeks ago. Since then, fans have been impressed with his demeanor as he looks to hit the right notes with the support early on.
The Greek-Australian tactician arrives in Glasgow as an unknown figure in Scotland. However, his reputation in Australia and Japan is sky-high, leading to increased expectation for him to stamp his footballing authority in this country.
And O’Neill was asked by Optus Sport about his reaction to the news as he bigged up the job ahead:
“He will obviously be judged on his results. It will be a major step for him I must admit. I genuinely believe the crowd will be with him, they have to stay with him as well too. He has to get his own design on the team. It’s a big move for him, and it’s a great move for him too.
“The challenge is there and it’s a nice challenge in many aspects. They were disappointing last season, and it’s a fresh start for him. He knows the challenge ahead because of what Rangers have done. He may in many aspects have come on the radar, but it’s a big chance for him.
“There probably is a divide of opinion. There will be a lot of Celtic fans, very fair-minded people, saying ‘give him a chance now. There will be others who have thought about a bigger name in the game. Does it really matter at the end of it all if you get the results and turn things round? There’s no guarantee of anything and a big name in the game may not guarantee success.”
Martin O’Neill backs Postecoglou to Celtic appointment
The Celtic support have seriously thrown themselves behind Postecoglou in recent weeks. The appointment may have initially sparked concerns at first. But the truth is there’s a wave of excitement dominating the football club just now.
Of course, the importance of a positive start cannot be underestimated. Failure to hit the ground running and there will be question marks over his experience and ability to manage at this level. He’ll know that, and that’s why it’s important we get behind him.
He needs to feel the love of the Celtic support. If he doesn’t, all we’re doing is putting him on the back foot before he even begins. He’ll have enough people against him outside of our own support. It’s our job to stay behind him.
That’s easy to do when the vibe is positive. If we beat Midtjylland in Champions League qualifying, his popularity will rise again. But we have to also try and show our strength in backing him when results take a turn.
That’s when the true solidity of this football club will be tested. So long as we’re seeing an improvement, the Celtic fans will always allow poor results from time to time. It’s football and it happens. So fingers crossed that, whenever we experience a downturn, that we’re still showing promising signs.
O’Neill couldn’t be more right in his evaluation of Postecoglou at Celtic. There was never any guarantee of success with a big name. Nothing would be more satisfying than seeing Ange silence a lot of doubters this season.
In other news, Sheffield United fans sound itching for Celtic to avoid signing George Baldock.
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