Open and honest. In any job and in any walk of life that is what people value the most. It lets you know where you stand, expectations and most importantly, it also helps build trust.
And that is precisely how Ange Postecoglou conducts his business. In an open and honest fashion.
There is no hidden meanings, no mixed messages, just frank conversations that leave no one in any doubt as to what the manager is talking about.
We have seen this very publicly in how Ange manages the media and Mikey Johnston has revealed that this is exactly the same approach the Celtic boss takes with his players.
Johnston is currently on loan with Vitoria Guimaraes and after declaring that he wants to represent the Republic of Ireland at international level, his current form earned him a call-up where he impressed on his debut in the 3-2 win over Latvia.
And as Ireland prepare to face France tonight in a crunch Euro 2024 qualifier, Johnston was asked about his future at the club.
As reported by The Sun Johnston opened up, “We had an honest conversation and he [Ange Postecoglou] said it was best that I went elsewhere to get it [first team football].
“I was fine with that. I needed a freshen-up.
“Opinions on me weren’t accurate and I wanted to change that. I had to get away from the UK, to be honest.
“Portugal has been really good. I had quite a bad time with injuries in the last couple of years.
“For a full year, touch wood, I have been fine and managed to get back to full fitness.
“Vitoria has been a great platform for me. They are in a big league and it’s really competitive.
“I have had a lot of starts, a lot of games, a lot of consistency, which is what I needed.
“Will I be back at Celtic long-term? We will see. I don’t want to sit on the bench. I just want to feel important.”
I’ve always had a soft spot for Mikey.
Celtic supporters always love to see players graduating from the academy and after making his debut under Brendan Rodgers in 4-1 win against St Johnstone in 2017, his career has suffered a stuttering start as injuries kept him on the sidelines.
He seems to have found his groove in Portugal but is that enough to convince Ange Postecoglou that the 23-year-old can challenge first team players like Jota, Daizen Maeda and Sead Haksabanovic?
It will be very difficult for him but I genuinely hope he returns to the club to prove me wrong.
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