Whether or not the 12 signings Celtic made in the summer were entirely of Ange Postecoglou’s making, rather than a mix of his own keen eye for a player alongside agent recommendations and Nick Hammond’s left behind spreadsheet on youthful English football projects, it certainly appears that this time around Ange Postecoglou has had the time to target exactly who he wanted and filter those who have been recommended.
Autonomy over transfers of course has not always been something Celtic have afforded managers in recent times, with Neil Lennon appearing to work as part of a transfer committee and even Brendan Rodgers seemed surprised when he was told a certain Ukrainian right wing wonderkid was being added to his squad by a recruitment specialist who doubled as a far more senior executive.
Now though Ange Postecoglou, speaking at Friday’s press conference has indicated, for the time being at least, that he has the final say over those he chooses to add to his squad and why it is a particularly important issue due to the style of play and demands he makes on his players.
“It was kind of essential. I think the club understood that when they appointed me, because with my history and the way I want my teams to play, it’s really important that we bring in players that suit the system.
“It’s not just about signing talented players or players we may think have potential, it’s where they can fit in. No-one knows that better than me, so having that sort of control and being able to make sure the characteristics we’re looking for, both from the point of view of the player, and also the person that we’re trying to sign, has been vital.
“I’ve done that my whole career and, for the most part, I’ve had success in the players I bring in because I know what I’m looking for.”
In truth both transfer windows have been a success in terms of the numbers we needed for a squad rebuild, and considering Alex Ferguson used to say that a 50% success rate was good going when it came to any transfer window, then Celtic certainly look to be meeting if not even exceeding that particular target.
But it’s one thing to get the players in, it’s another to bed them into a new environment and get them settled as individuals, before functioning fully into a playing philosophy, and Ange was keen to point out today that it’s a case of time and patience as some fit in quicker than others.
“It depends on the player. With all players there’s not a one-size-fits-all model. The penny drops with some of them at different times. Some come in straight away and feel really comfortable in the setup, others just take a little bit longer.
“I think the key part is trying to sign players who embrace the fact that they’re going to be learning something new and playing differently to what they’re used to but, as long as they’ve got the characteristics I’m looking for and they’re coachable, then it usually happens pretty quickly.
“Sometimes it’s the physical side it takes longer to adapt to, so there’s no set formula. We’ve been pretty fortunate this year. We’ve had to throw most of the guys in whether they’re ready or not, and they’ve adapted really quickly, which is a credit to them.”
It is indeed a credit to the players that they’ve settled in well, as in a season where most of us expected a period of transition, Celtic have picked up the first domestic trophy of the season, are looking strong contenders for the league title and have performed on the European stage well enough to give us all hope the future looks bright at that level of competition also.
And as much as Ange is right to compliment the players, much of it is down to his ability to get his message across to them and his eye for a player’s ability and their character too.
It may not always have been the case the manager had such autonomy in the transfer market, but with Postecoglou it seems to be non-negotiable that he does, and the results so far back up his stance.
Niall J
