Barry Ferguson Defends Ange Postecoglou, As Former Rangers Captain Points To Injury Woes

Celtic have made a stuttering start to life under Ange Postecoglou this season, but there have been mitigating circumstances which should not be forgotten. That’s according to former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson, who explained why he feels that the Celtic manager should not be judged just yet.

Ferguson told The Go Radio Football Show that whilst the Hoops should have had enough to see off Dundee United yesterday, he believes the club’s injury woes are plaguing the side.

The Alloa boss said: “At the start, everybody was talking about how they are playing, but at the end of the day Celtic fans want wins and they are struggling to get that.

“Look, he is missing two or three key players. Kyogo had an unbelievable start to his Celtic career. He looks a great addition. He is a big miss. James Forrest is a big miss too.

“The biggest miss for me is the captain, Callum McGregor. He has been missing the last few games and it’s shown.”

Although offering Postecoglou a reprieve, Ferguson did reiterate that Celtic still have adequate squad depth to pick up wins domestically. “All that aside, they should still have a strong enough squad to be winning games of football,” he said.

The ex-Scotland international concluded the segment by adding a caveat once more, when a caller claimed that the injury list shouldn’t impact on form. “You are going to miss quality players,” he explained. “McGregor, Kyogo, they are massive misses, I don’t care what anybody says. It’s up to the players when they are out to step up, but Kyogo and McGregor are still massive misses.”

There’s no doubt that Celtic should always strive for success. There should never be contentment when points are dropped, but it is important to stand by the manager when one considers the monumental rebuild that he is masterminding.

The early signs were excellent, but he has had to restart the revamp in many ways, as he battles to get another new set of players adapted to his unique style of play. The re-introduction of McGregor and Kyogo are central to the system succeeding, though it remains important to pick up more points in the meantime.