When Ange Postecoglou used his beautiful house analogy in yesterday’s press conference it evidenced the focus (laser focused as he himself described his narrow vision this season) on the job he’s becoming much renowned for.
Of course, Ange will have his many reasons for trying to ensure outside distractions don’t impact on the foundations he’s laid to date. From a personal point of view, he’ll not wish for any thoughts of a rival’s footballing department potentially unravelling to deflect from the job he himself has to do, and he’ll also wish to ensure his players believe that same rival won’t hand them anything on a plate and remain invested in their own, and their teammates, development.
As such when he said he won’t be peering over the garden fence, that was as much for his players to hear as it was for the assembled hacks. Or indeed the supporters who now tune in religiously to these press conferences and hang on every word of the man the majority of supporters have fully entrusted to get Celtic back to winning silverware.
And the message doesn’t stop there. Ange after all is already fielding questions about transfer window and plans to strengthen the squad and has been since October, and although he’s already stated he won’t be confirming or denying any transfer links aired in such forums, he has stated he is looking to add to the squad come January.
Although the turnover and chaos of the summer window is something Ange is expecting to avoid, the acute need for strengthening the squad is something he has been happy to broadcast, and that’s not for journalists or supporter’s benefit. No positions and no names, just a public confirmation that both the depth and the quality of the players available to him have to be added to.
So, when Postecoglou talks of his beautiful house, his words to remain focused on what we do are as much for those writing the cheques for the raw materials and expert tradesmen than anyone else already employed on site.
After all Ange will have been here long enough to realise that in comparison to how other clubs are run, we’re in need of a touch of modernisation. But one look around at the fixtures and fittings will have made him realise that although work to modernise his house is required, those holding the purse strings very much benchmark themselves to the family next door.
The worry then is if the flamboyantly borrowing neighbours are likely to be in disarray, with a workforce called away to a better paid job, then the delay in appointing a new team and the implementation of new plans is likely to take a bit of time to get up to speed.
The concern then for our own rebuilding job will be the temptation to slow down on our own project rather than keep on track with the current blueprint. As such Ange’s calls to keep focusing on our own plans need to be heard in the boardroom as much as the changing room.
If Steven Gerrard does head south to Aston Villa, then the assumption is there will be a period of flux across the City. This is not so much down to the loss of the main man, but more so his backroom team will undoubtedly head south too. And that includes the real architect, the tactical brains behind theRangers rebuild that goes with him. Gerrard may be the figurehead, the man who has the reputation that will attract players to play for him, but the man who makes those players actually perform is Stephen Beale, the loss of the architect will be more acutely felt than the loss of the site manager at Ibrox.
Despite all this it’s a hell of a risk to take to assume whoever comes in won’t hit the ground running. You can say what you like about our rivals’ finances or the reckless way their boardroom goes about their job, they do however have a solid footballing base with Ross Wilson heading footballing operations and a contact list that will be put to good use in attracting someone to the job.
If that’s Derek McInnes we can all breathe easy, however if that is Gennaro Gattuso or even the man Villa punted, Dean Smith, then the importance of Postecoglou’s warning will need to be heeded.
The first option will bring an iron curtain to Ibrox with little to fear, the others will bring either fast direct football, or in the case of Smith long-term thinking and tactical nous. And even if it is none of the above Celtic need to simply assume the appointment will be someone who can pick up where Gerrard and Beale left off.
🚨 BREAKING: Steven Gerrard has completed his move from Rangers to Aston Villa.https://t.co/cvOwlO6bRd
— Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (@ClydeSSB) November 11, 2021
Celtic have a financial advantage over our rivals, and as Gerrard heads south, we will also have the added bonus of a workforce being off-site for a period of time. As such it is time to ramp home an advantage, focus on our own project and back the manager in the upcoming transfer window. There can be no revisiting of architects plans now just because the neighbours have hit a bump in the road. I just hope our custodians were paying as much attention to Postecoglou’s press conference as the journalists and supporters were and avoid the temptation to peer over the fence.
Niall J
