Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has never been shy and retiring in media appearances, but his tussle with the Scottish print press this week was combative even by his standards.
Anticipating a barrage of questions on his future, Postecoglou sternly handled and batted away everything that came his way. While he certainly didn’t present any guarantees on his future, either at Celtic or away from it, he left no one in any doubt that his main focus this week is not about moving jobs but winning a treble with the Bhoys.
One outlet described the exchange as ‘heated’ – as it wasn’t recorded for public consumption it’s impossible to make that determination for ourselves, but Postecoglou certainly didn’t miss the assembled press pack. He even turned the tables on their interest in the story of a potential exit, telling them they’d love it if Celtic slipped up at Hampden and gave them the feeding frenzy they desire.
Ange Postecoglou takes on robust media questioning
When it was, fairly, put to him that fans were keen on knowing his intentions, Postecoglou responded [Scottish Sun]: “What will they be texting if we don’t win on Saturday? I will tell you what they will be texting. And that’s the trick isn’t it? You all want to take me there, but I know what is most important right now and that is not the most important thing. Because there are players who aren’t here next year, very much so. Absolutely. So the story on Saturday is not going to be anything other than, ‘did we win?’ Because if we don’t win then I can’t answer those questions if I am sitting here talking about something other than winning on Saturday.
“That’s hard for you to understand, I know that, because you are not me. You are not in my skin, you don’t live and breath this job that I have and what Saturday means to me, these players, this football club. There is nothing more important – nothing, apart from my family obviously – than that game.”
As the exchanges continued, the Celtic boss really started to let rip, stating: “I’d love you to be in my shoes and know what my world is in terms of making sure that on Saturday we perform to the levels we can. You don’t understand that because you’d love the opposite to happen. You’d love for there to be a story that we aren’t successful. That would rock your world. Not because you want ill of me, but that would be unbelievable. Imagine the headlines you could come up with, which has been done before, hasn’t it?”
When it was put to him that many observers would say any final defeat was a result of all the speculation, Postecoglou batted back: “Spot on. You’ve got that headline ready. But that is the truth. The fact I have spent 25 minutes to get you guys to understand that’s not what’s happening, eventually that story gets out. That is why I am on super alert because I am not going to allow anyone to say that.”
As the speculation rumbles on, Postecoglou at least cannot be accused of letting himself be distracted this week. Both he and the players have made it perfectly clear it’s business as usual at Lennoxtown.
The Celtic manager clearly feels there are a few people out there waiting on drama at Hampden. Hopefully, for us all, it is only a day of triumph for the Bhoys. Then what will be on his future, will be.
What we know for sure is that Ange isn’t going to give any potential snipers an inch. He’ll let everyone know exactly what they’re up to.
In other news, Clubs show interest in Celtic midfielder James McCarthy; contract situation.
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