If there is one thing that has struck me about Ange Postecoglou in the last couple of weeks, is he certainly knew his market when it came to players operating out of the J-League. That eye for a player, where have we heard that before? But this time things may be very different.
The obvious case in point had been how Kyogo Furuhashi not only hit the ground running and looked every inch a top striking talent but also that the work ethic, character and personality of the player was also spot on.
Having been looking into the talents and stats of the other three players Ange has chosen to complete – so far – our Japanese acquisitions, their personalities we are yet to experience. However, all three have struck me as players not only bought to improve the depth of a squad lacking in the type of player Ange needs to truly see his vision for the club materialise, but also players who will immediately, should they settle in, improve the first team straight off the bat.
For me Daizen Maeda will be exciting to watch in full flow and his interchanging with Furuhashi during games will be a nightmare for the opposition. Add a returning Jota to that frontline and there is a bona fide European strike force emerging never mind one that can impress on the domestic front. Meanwhile Ideguchi will be a diligent worker and an excellent reader of the game in that deep lying playmaker role. However, Reo Hatate, on stats alone, really looks the missing link and the one to play that number eight role. If Maeda and Furuhashi make the runs, Hatate I’m certain will find them, and with the boundless energy attached we’ll see a creative player but also one who can recover the ball when we lose it. I feel he’ll be the pick of the bunch. A partnership with Rogic for instance sems ideal.
When you consider the turnaround Ange has achieved with very few players who he actually feels are capable of understanding and then performing at the levels he requires, it’s a hell of a thought to consider what might be ahead when the manager gets the tools he needs to really implement his desired philosophy fully. That may be a while off and a couple of transfer windows yet, but the journey, never mind the destination, is one to absorb and enjoy. That journey may also incorporate a supporting cast as well as his leading men.
It also seems the Celtic fans are not the only one’s impressed with Ange Postecoglou, it also appears the Board itself are as engaged with the new man as we are and that they are willing to give some real autonomy to the boss, something his predecessor certainly lacked and after an initial year, so too did Brendan Rodgers.
I’d suggest being allowed to purchase four players in half a season from Japan means there is a level of respect and trust already being granted to Ange Postecoglou. You can of course say that has happened through luck rather than design when it comes to getting their man, after the Eddie Howe summer fiasco, however backing him this way shows the clinging control exhibited by a former CEO, may, just may, be a thing of the past. And if Ange Postecoglou’s vision extends beyond building a team and also shifts to what is required behind the scenes to support one, we may be onto an even bigger winner than we thought.
If those rumours are true then it may not just be a first team squad Ange Postecoglou gets to build, it may be his ideas in other areas supporting that squad may also be overseen by the new man. That may worry some, those looking for someone else to take the strain and subsequently ensure a structure remains when the manager goes, indeed, that has been my own thoughts on that matter for some time, mainly due to scars from when Rodgers did his midnight flit down the M6 and took the guts of a backroom with him.
Those fears certainly remain with an uncomfortable undercurrent that one day when the challenge is over Ange Postecoglou heads to Italy or Spain, Celtic have to build from Ground Zero. But there are arguments against that.
First of all, Ange Postecoglou travelled light, indeed he brought just himself. With such a new philosophy to instil and a squad in flux that was a brave decision.
It appears however part of his plan was to assess what he had and take it from there. Well, his message is getting across and having heard Postecoglou very much works with the group rather than taking time with one on ones with the players, it appears, given the improvement in some players, that the training of his coaching team, and giving them the responsibility to focus more on individuals is also paying dividends.
Gavin Strachan and John Kennedy may have had the headlines last year, much of them negative, but something is working this season and Stephen McManus who stepped up late to the first team coaching staff last season, also appears highly thought of by Ange Postecoglou.
If Postecoglou has a vision of what is needed to support his style of play, be that through analysis or improved sports science and more, and apparently he very much being listened to in that regard, it would appear he may well not only build a structure based on his needs and his experiences, it may also be that when that day comes, much like he did with Yokohoma Marinos, that he leaves it all behind and doesn’t take the knowledge and staff with his as a certain former manager did. His legacy, as with Marinos may then be continuity as much as the expected success to come.
If Celtic’s new man has half the eye for a supporting cast as he appears to have for his leading men, then it may well be Ange Postecoglou leaves behind the modern-day structure we’ve all wanted to see. And much like his appointment that may be down to striking lucky, however it could well mean whoever comes next may well find the shell of a footballing operation Postecoglou inherited a thing of the past and instead gets one that is fully functional.
Niall J
Eddie Howe was never a good choice, was never going to have what it takes.
But I have serious doubts about Ange as well.
He lacks variation knowledge.
No plan b.
So far it’s cost us every point we’ve dropped this season as well as humiliation in Europe.
Having coached elite athletes in other sports, I believe having a team buy into a singular clear message, overrides the benefits of trying to adjust into a plan b if a problem emerges. As a team sport, trying to align everyone in one clear direction is very difficult. There will be a time and place for slight adjustments based on circumstances, but any significant variation he tries to bring in as he orients the team only serves to confuse.
Enjoyed that TYVM, yes in Ange we have the potential to get back to heights we never thought we’d see again.
He is all he should be and if the board keep backing him, he will drag Our club into the modern world of football and open all sorts of new business and marketing opportunities, he’s doing what Dom McKay should still be doing. However, we may never know why McKay ‘left’ but it’s not too much of a stretch for me to guess his departure was down to him putting new bright opportunities to the board and they have sh?t themselves regarding his new way of thinking. Far too comfortable with their quarterly dividends to let some newbie upset the apple cart, that, for me, is way more likely than the ‘family reasons’ BS we got for a reason.