Ange Postecoglou has hailed the improvement of his Celtic team over the last 12 months and their adjustment to making sure they perform in the biggest matches.
As Celtic celebrated Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final win over Rangers, Postecoglou pointed out that this time last year his side weren’t overcoming all of the challenges they needed to despite a double cup success.
However, he is seeing an evolution in his group that allows them to show up when it really matters most and win at all costs. It bodes well for Celtic’s future in season three of the Postecoglou reign as bigger tests await in Europe.
Celtic boss sees progression in his team
Postecoglou said [STV]: “Twelve months ago, when we lost here, it was another tight game, but I thought last year Rangers were a very good team and they had that resilience in them. That’s why they got to a European final. They did what they needed to do to get the job done on the day.
“That’s been our evolution as a team this year. It’s not easy to develop that because you need time and you need to be put in that situation as often as possible. But this group has really learned quickly that when you get to these big games, the games of consequence, you have to do what’s required.
“That’s what we did and I think we have been doing it all year. It’s where the team is at in terms of their progression. They understand that in the big games you need to show every facet of your game and that’s what we did.”
While we enjoy an inevitable title win and even a potential treble, it’s undeniable that Celtic still have a lot of improvement in them under the manager. This season’s Champions League group stage was difficult and frustrating but also provided a target to try and push for.
If Postecoglou thinks his team are now handling these ‘games of consequence’ much better than they were before, it could mean our top players such as Kyogo Furuhashi start to find more composure in huge moments and find it easier to shine on the biggest stages.
That remains to be proven, of course, but the manager is encouraged by what he’s seeing and we should be too.
In other news, Celtic scouts attend high-stakes Greek derby as Levi Garcia asking price is reported.
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