New fixture list provides Celtic with major siege mentality opportunity

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The new fixture list will undoubtedly have many reacting with some concern, but this gives Celtic a monumental opportunity.

You can understand the trepidation from some. Tynecastle on matchday one is never going to be an easy task [SPFL]. Hearts will be buoyed by the idea of revenge for the curtailment that led to their relegation in 2019/20. It’s a narrative that will be played up and used to make the match heated.

Then, only three matchdays later, we’re at Ibrox for our first Glasgow derby of the season. A trip to our biggest rivals who will undoubtedly be confident heading into the game. Our failure to win any of these fixtures last season was a sheer embarrassment for the football club. That winless run will no doubt have many fearful of what’s in store this time around.

But this gives us a real chance to create an early siege mentality at the football club. There’ll be enough negativity coming from the media in the weeks heading into the season.

Pundits and columnists will have us dropping points in the first game. They’ll also likely have Rangers as having won the first derby already. Celtic are going to be written off here, and the difficulty of our first month will likely only exaggerate that narrative.

However, this is when our football club shows what it’s all about the most. When Celtic are written off, they tend to surprise you.

With some no doubt writing Postecoglou off already, it provides the new boss with a chance he’ll thrive upon. He’s proven in the past that he prefers when people don’t believe in him. It’s when he appears to work best. He’ll have plenty external sources struggling to place their faith in him for the first month of fixtures.

Celtic can throw down a monumental statement with this opportunity

But you have to look at what this could do for Celtic if things go positively. You would hope we would be at an advanced stage in our summer rebuilt, but we won’t be totally complete. If we’re able to beat Hearts and Rangers on their own turfs with a squad only recently put together that isn’t even complete? What a message that sends out.

It gives us an opportunity to secure perhaps our gloriest win in Govan for some time. And in truth it’s not only in these two fixtures either. In the first round of fixtures, Celtic also travel to Motherwell, Hibernian, Livingston, and Aberdeen too. If he comes through those with a healthy record, Postecoglou will put himself and the club in a great position.

But that siege mentality has to include supporters. We have to buy into our new man as much as possible. The last thing he needs is his own fans doubting him. An element still will regardless, but it’ll only help the new man if he knows he has the backing and trust of the Celtic fanbase.

This football club is going to be battered from pillar to post when it comes to pre-season predictions. So many will doubt that we’re capable of a revival, and will use our difficult first month to point to how this could lead to Postecoglou becoming an early calamity.

Rangers, meanwhile, will be bigged up to be Europe’s next big rising force. It’ll be made to look as though we’re up against a relentless machine and a manager in Steven Gerrard who can’t be tactically out-thought.

It’s time to get to work and start shutting down all of those narratives with wins. These first couple of away games shouldn’t give you any fear, they should provide you with optimism and excitement. Postecoglou has just been given a massive opportunity – let’s see what he does with it.

In other news, the Celtic fans were left delighted to see a club great roll back the years last night.