We, and I mean collectively, have talked the hind legs off a donkey about what Celtic need this summer.
The deficiencies at the club are numerous. We’ve lost our captain [Glasgow Live], we have no Director of Football [Independent], and key players are set to leave. It was always going to be a summer of transition, given the contract situations at Celtic. But wow, does the new manager ever need investment if he’s to be a success in Scotland.
If, indeed, Ange Postecoglou’s rugged charms make their way through the doors at Paradise, he’ll realise that finishing second means finishing last. In a conversation with J-League reporter Dan Orlowitz, he told me that Yokohama F Marinos fans were willing to wait for success:
“I think the fans understood that ’18 was a work in progress because they saw that he was building something that the players believed in, and that was really key.”
That’s fine and well, but at Celtic, he won’t have that opportunity. The former Australia boss will be cognisant of the expectations here, and may even relish them. But simply put, he’s got to hit the ground running, and it’s not necessarily because of him.
After the trauma of the 20-21 campaign, Celtic supporters are casting a cynical eye over developments at the club. Everything and anything is going to be pored over in intense detail, every decision scrutinised. It’s natural for a club of our size. But just like Brendan Rodgers before him, we may need to absorb a couple of bumps along the way.
Celtic are already behind schedule; the pressure will be on Postecoglou from the start
While the mood over Postecoglou has, generally, warmed over the last week, concerns remain. Of course, there’s the whole UEFA license rigmarole, and we can’t be sure of Postecoglou’s contacts in the European transfer markets. It would help if someone could sort that for him, and while bids are being made for players in key positions, it seems a squad will be thrust upon him in his first window. That is, again, provided he joins.
There’s reason to be excited about Ange Postecoglou. His playing style, his lack of tolerance for nonsense, and the opportunity for an unorthodox hiring to be a success in Scotland. There’s something of the underdog about it all that seems fitting for Celtic; someone coming over and fighting the odds.
So, don’t read this as “you’re already on his back”, or anything like that. That’s not the case at all. It’s just that given the chaos at the club, patience is at an absolute premium. Given the potential risk involved here, that’s a concern.
I’m not telling you how to feel about Ange Postecoglou, but going by his career so far, and how desolate the current Celtic squad is, it may take time for these players (however many will be left) to get back to the high-intensity, entertaining football we saw under Brendan Rodgers.
But it sounds like we’re in for a wild ride either way.
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