When Eddie Howe’ due diligence eventually led to Celtic being dumped at the altar, the Celtic Board acted quickly. Ange Postecoglou’s appointment was left field to say the least but the speed of the negotiations and appointment meant one of two things. Postecoglou had already been sounded out and we’d done our homework running alongside the Howe deal – because we had doubts he was going to commit – or alternatively we took a punt on a recommendation, source unknown.
There were plenty of rumours being fed to the media that Eddie Howe was going to be given carte blanche to remould the Celtic football operation, there were even rumours a footballing structure involving a director of football – a model also dropped to sources in the press but with plausible deniability of course – was going to be implemented and that Eddie Howe was even going to have a say in who his ‘boss’ in that structure may be, if not appoint to that very role. A high degree of independence was expected and looked as if it was being offered.
There could be a multitude of reasons that particular deal fell apart, one day we’ll probably even know but fall apart it did and Celtic moved on. Postecoglou was appointed and you assume our due diligence was completed and we got a good fit for Celtic’s future plans. In truth his style of play is not far off Eddie Howe’s so it probably meant in theory there would be little deviating from plans laid to support a new manager, had plans actually been laid.
If you look at an Ange Postecoglou team there is a very rigid tactical structure in place. He has a vision of how teams play and he believes so much in it he will not bend from it. Given his success with his approach why would he? However, that approach is fairly straightforward, it is far from ground-breaking.
Ange plays a 4-3-3, he plays a high press, you have to run all day and then run some more, you must be able to move around the field into different positions and you must be accurate in your passing and do it at pace. Off the ball movement is essential and in transition you need to be able to recover possession in challenging circumstances.
In short there is a specific type of footballer Ange Postecoglou needs to play that system. You’d assume if Celtic had looked at his Marinos, Roar or Socceroos team you’d be aware of just what type of player the manager needs.
His full backs cut inside to support his midfield to go forward and open up the pitch to vertical passes to break the lines or switch play to advanced attackers playing wide on either side of a mobile striker. The two number eights have licence to join the attacks creating a huge overload on the opposition safe in the knowledge those inverted full backs afford cover in behind them.
The two central defenders are somewhat exposed at times and that is the trade-off, but both options in central defence will be able to read the game and have recovery pace to boot. From there the insurance policy for the defensive vulnerability is countered by a goalkeeper who operates almost as a sweeper and will assist in recycling possession, even building attacks from the back.
Eddie Howe played a similar system; in fact, he probably was slightly less gung-ho in his relegation season but there were clear similarities. So, across both choices of manager Celtic you’d assume knew what they were getting, were happy that is what they wanted and were aware of the personnel needed to deliver.
They’d have ensured they got feedback from the coaching staff and analytical team as to who we had who could play this style of football and who wouldn’t cut it. From there they’d know roughly what we needed in incomings and outgoings.
We’d have a series of targets within the budget that could be recommended and we’d have a few within or ranks that we could advise the new manager may suit his philosophy. When the manager arrived,he could take the training and narrow in more specifically on who was a keeper who needed shipped out and from there what he needed through the door.
In theory that works fine, however in practice Celtic have appointed a manager with a clearly defined playing style who will require certain players to fit it but without a footballing structure around it to deliver it.
Celtic still have staff identifying talent but we know until the manager arrived there was no direction to Jay Lefevre · Head of Scouting Operations – as to what type of player the manager wanted. Even if he identified players for specific positions where did where did he take his recommendations too? There is no Head of football operations since Nick Hammond moved on and the Chief Scout role was vacated by Gary Penrice. As such a slowing of recruitment was inevitable and the pace is something Postecoglou has already advised as a blockage to getting players in.
We had a new manager through the door and a new CEO but a huge organisation black hole as to where contact with players, representatives and clubs would come into the equation after Lefevre and his team identified talent. There was also the issue for Lefevre as to not being able to identify players who fitted the Ange system until the new man was through the door. Considering the extent of the rebuild that isn’t something that could be done quickly.
Add to that the ballpark figure for the value of player LeFevre could recommend was skewed by budgetary issues. It seems clear Celtic don’t intend to spend until they know what money they have coming in, and even then, they’ll tailor that to the income they’d expect from European football. Champions league football bigger budget – Europa league – Less – Conference league – less still. All of that with the sands of transfer window time slipping away,
In a time sensitive transfer window, identifying players, contacting clubs and their representatives needs to be fast. Ange Postecoglou has a playing philosophy he is painstakingly delivering on the training field and the new CEO has a multitude of other operational tasks to be carrying out, he also has no history of dealing with the nuances of football transfer negotiations. In short, the lack of that footballing structure, the one that could have been put in place since the fabled January review is causing a slowing at best of transfer activity.
I’ve personally heard stories of players being identified, contact being made, responses from the ‘selling’ club arriving in a timely manner, then club follow up responses taking as long as two weeks. In a transfer window like this, two weeks means other clubs steal a march, and that appears to have happened. By the time Celtic respond, other clubs are showing interest and advantages have been lost.
There also appears to be a gulf between what the numbers and types of players the manager advises he needs for his squad and areas certain board members – taking a very hands-on approach with the new manager – feel the club requires. If that is the case then non-footballing people are feeding back to the manager on areas where the manager has been employed to make those decisions, and on a squad the manager has now had sufficient time to evaluate and make his own judgements.
It’s not a big leap then to consider if such levels of interference, even undermining, are occurring then the types of players being targeted may also be impacted.
Recently we’ve had plenty of examples of the club supplying ‘talent’ to the playing pool and managers being unaware. The ‘millions of wingers’ quote from Brendan Rodgers as Marian Shved was foisted upon him, then Vakoun Bayo and Patrick Klimala. Was Vasilis Barkas a Neil Lennon ‘type’ of goalkeeper, and just last season we had Shane Duffy.
Did the managers choose those players? And what of those targeted now? If we believe Joe Hart is about to become Celtic’s goalkeeper is that an Ange Postecoglou signing? Take away the fact we were linked last summer, does Hart’s style of play even suit Ange Postecoglou’s vision? Is he the sweeper keeper, will he start attacks, can he distribute the ball? And that’s before you get to the issues around his concerning difficulty with diving low to his left. It doesn’t add up.
Then there’s James McCarthy. He’s a good player, Celtic supporter, Irish International, EPL experience and free. Sounds good until you realise how injury prone he has historically been, how little football he has played and the fact in a midfield three as mobile as Ange Postecoglou’s the signing simply doesn’t make sense.
The bodies of players in an Ange Postecoglou system are going to be pushed to the limit, even the deeper lying midfielder is not a holding midfielder, he is the point of attack. He is mobile he gets forward and breaks the lies. McCarthy is a player who could have fitted a Neil Lennon system, had he been signed to replace Scott Brown you could almost have understood it, however you’d still have had to question the injury record, but in an Ange Postecoglou system? Again, it doesn’t make sense.
And then on the back of one Irish international we’re linked with an Under 21 Irish international in Liam Scales. This lad could be a great player, he could be one Postecoglou has identified as the left back or centre back solution but that is a push. He’s a league of Ireland player who only came close once to crossing the Irish Sea to join Bristol Rovers and that move collapsed. The player may have improved massively but if he’s anything other than squad padding it would be a surprise. It’s a deal that makes little sense unless of course you join the dots from the Celtic boardroom to Liam Scales’ club Shamrock Rovers and we’re back to players being foisted on managers again.
When Celtic appointed Ange Postecoglou they should have known what they were getting, they should have known the specific requirements the coach had for his players in his system. Instead, it appears we are hoping Postecoglou can deliver on that vision with a mix of his own types and others certain people with no coaching or footballing managerial experience believe are good players. This approach has already failed and we are still flogging that racehorse.
We’ll know in the next few days and weeks as to how much Ange Postecoglou is being given the support to bring in his types. Kyogo Furuhashi is one, Carl Starfelt the manager at least seems happy with.
The others have question marks. Kiel Abada is from the Dudu Dahan stable but thankfully shows promise, Liam Shaw has Nick Hammond’s mark all over it as does Osaze Urhoghide, the fact neither of those players has seen much action so far speaks volumes about either their readiness or ability for a Postecoglou team.
If Joe Hart, Liam Scales and James McCarthy sign for Celtic you’d have to question how much autonomy our new manager is getting and in turn how that will impact on his authority at the club and in the dressing room.
His reputation has been hard earned. This opportunity to manage Celtic is probably one he jumped at believing if he got to choose his players he could fix our issues, and I believe he could, but he’s not getting that independence to carry out his job.
Postecoglou will have been surprised at the squad rebuild task once he’d assessed the personnel, he’d have been more surprised how a Sous Chef with no experience is trying to throw unwanted ingredients into his mixing bowl and telling him to ensure it’s of a Michelin standard.
A level of independence appeared to have been offered to Eddie Howe when he was offered the job. Would have been any different once he got through the door, who knows? What is clear was Howe seemed to be getting total control even to the point of appointing his boss to a technical director or director of football role, he’d also identified players and had a backroom staff he wanted to come with him. That would indicate the Board were aware huge changes at a football level were inevitable and someone with an ability to implement a modern first team squad was needed, so what has changed now?
If Ange Postecoglou is to be a success and maintain a reputation as a manager he has earned he needs to be given the sort of independence Eddie Howe had been offered, not goalkeepers who cannot perform the basic tasks his tactical outlook needs, not holding midfielders who have been unable to evidence a regular availability throughout a season, or have a historical style of play that does not fit, or defenders from a club with links to members of the board but who have only come close in the past to signing for Bristol Rovers, and no more from the Nick Hammond and Gary Penrice spreadsheet.
If we do not have a supporting structure in place to support Ange Postecoglou, that is not his fault. In its absence we must let him choose the players he wants, be those first team or squad players.
That is the least we can afford Ange Postecoglou when we were ready to offer Eddie Howe free reign. Anything less would undermine the new manager, impact on his ability to implement his vision and ultimately leave him twisting in the wind. I don’t know about you but Ange strikes me as a man willing to make some sacrifices to get a dream job, but not that he won’t have his limits.
Niall J
Hart, McCarthy & Scales – two has-beens and a probable never will be. In fact, the signing of Scales looks like a business man moving money from club to club. If these three arrive we are in big trouble!
Why is ANGE NOT getting full Atomane to do his job we.need a goalie left back maybe two another centre back and a holding mid centre a couple of wingers Ange should be able to bring in the players he wants and they need to be signed ASAP there is only three weeks before the end of the window let him do his job i hope the board is aware that we’ve not win a game yet get you’re hands into your pockets get two or three 9mill players into the club and stop hagglen over a few thousand pounds Cochice
Excellent well written article Niall about Postecoglou’s appointment . Agree entirely with your comments.
The biggest question i have, is why is John Kennedy still at the club in any capacity?
He has been through three managers, Ronnie, Rodgers and Lennon.
Deila’s side could not defend for love nor money and neither could Lennon’s.
Rodgers side had the best defensive record in the league because Kennedy was put on bibs and cones duty. Rodgers was having nothing of his ‘brand’ of coaching.
This fella and the rest of the dead weight need to be removed from the club as they are bringing nothing to the party.
The club owe John Kennedy nothing.
Why is he still about?
Ange slipped up badly when he didn’t demand his own staff in from day one.
As an Australian football fan, I have never read so much about Celtic! And this is the best of a number of very good articles. Hang in there Ange.