Celtic AGM: “Mr Postecoglou was my father. Call me Ange”

Yesterday I listened, at the club’s AGM, to a very interesting and intelligent response by Ange to all of the noise around Celtic’s performance in the Champions League. No cliches or tropes or sound bites. Just innovative and positive coaching philosophy patiently explained.

His point is that to make players better, you have to actively expose them to the standards to which you aspire. To go there with 10 men behind the ball and hang on – and maybe snatch a draw or two – just teaches you about survival and does nothing to advance the experience and potential of the players. How can they measure their progress or contribution in future games if they haven’t seen first-hand what the top players can actually do.

If you are faithful to a style of play and commit to that then, having personally just been through it, players can be driven daily to try and reach towards the Champion League standards they have now personally witnessed.

In other words, aim for a higher standard and have a model to measure against. He admitted that he is looking at why chances that our player stuck away at home seem to be beyond them when the stakes are higher and recognises that the occasion is a real factor.

These guys were playing in the J league, or League One or for Lorient, Motherwell and Kilmarnock in recent years. Now they have experienced what ECL is all about and can see what they need to improve – not just to be better players but Champions League players.

(Photo by PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP via Getty Images)

My view ? First class thinking and as ever very clearly explained.

Celtic are terrific to watch and are very successful too. There is no room for that sad mantra “its results that count – not the performance” we hear so often from stereotypical managers, which is strangling the game – particularly in Scotland. .

Celtic’s approach gives you games like the recent one at Tynecastle that so many people enjoyed watching live and on TV – a great advert for the game here for once.

I hope Ange stays for a long time, continues the entertainment – for all – and gets the success and vindication his methods deserve.

Ange Postecoglou, Manager of Celtic, Celtic FC and Shakhtar Donetsk on October 25, 2022.(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

As for the AGM it flew by for once and the Q & A was for once the main event – lots of good questions and points made. No sign of Dermot as usual but very impressed with Michael Nicholson and of course Ange – a lovely personal touch when a questioner addressed him as Mr Postecoglou – he replied “Mr Postecoglou was my father. Call me Ange”.

Also saw inside the new Sports Bar which is a lovely addition.

Club is in great hands on and off the pitch. Hail Hail !!

Martin Leadbetter

🍺 We are delighted that our new Sports Bar at Celtic Park is now open to supporters on matchdays.

Located in the South West corner of the Jock Stein Stand, the bar can be accessed via the main Kerrydale Suite entrance.

Full info ⤵#CELDUFC | #cinchPrem | #COYBIG🍀

— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) November 4, 2022