The impressive Celtic stat which showcases Ange Postecoglou's philosophy

By Lewis Laird

June 22, 2022

There were many aspects of Ange Postecoglou and his Celtic side that left supporters impressed last campaign.

The former Socceroos boss took over the club in a poor position, having come off the back of an extremely disappointing trophyless season.

Postecoglou rebuilt his playing squad and led them to a league and cup double during his first campaign in the Parkhead dugout.

Not only did the Celtic manager achieve this success, but he also did so in style by creating a team that supporters loved to watch.

Playing attacking football has always been the way Postecoglou sees his sides playing, and that was no different at Celtic.

It isn’t just all about attacking, though, with the defensive foundations being just as important in the success of Celtic last season.

The Hoops backline produced some impressive statistics across the course of the 2021/22 campaign, conceding the least goals across the 38 league games.

But, the back four aren’t the only players who are involved in defensive duties. Postecoglou has been keen to stress that defending starts from the front, and the entire team must work together to make that statement come true.

Statistics from @OptaAnalyst show that was the case in Celtic’s performances, with the Bhoys allowing opponents an average of just 9.2 open-play passes before making a defensive action.

To put that into perspective, only one side across the top five leagues in Europe last season topped that number, with Barcelona producing a better average of 9.0.

This statistic just goes to show how good a job Ange Postecoglou did during his first year in charge.

When you consider that the 56-year-old hasn’t even had a full pre-season to work with his players, it becomes even more impressive to see how they performed on a weekly basis.

Currently, the Celtic boss has his side producing numbers similar to some of the best sides in the world.

He will be hoping his players can take that into their performances in the Champions League next season, as they get set to face some of these sides, which could include Barcelona.

In other news, Report: Celtic midfielder being lined up for loan move to Serbia.