Ange Postecoglou did lose his first game that’s correct, but comparisons with Michael Beale are way off the mark…
The Rangers supporters weren’t happy after suffering an opening day defeat at Rugby Park on Saturday evening. Social Media and phone lines to radio stations were awash with unhappy bears lining up to slaughter Michael Beale and his newly signed superstars.
Several days have now past since the shock defeat at Killie allowing the Bears to have cooled down a little. Now along with their pals in the SMSM they have come up with the idea that all is not as bad as first feared.
Why is this? Well they have concluded that Mick Beale and his players still have all to play for and a title win is still on the horizon. All because our former gaffer Ange Postecoglou lost his very first league game in charge of the club at Tynecastle, in a season he led the club to league glory.
They are spot on, Ange did indeed lose his first game in charge of the club, and yes he did go on to win the Scottish Premiership title that same season.
But are they not missing a very important factor in their convenient squirrel? The fact that it wasn’t Michael Beales first game in charge. Beale has been in charge of his club for almost nine months now. He’s not the new kid on the block anymore.
Yes he’s signed nearly a full new starting XI, but he had a relatively recognised squad of players on the park against Kilmarnock.
When Ange watched his side lose that day at Tynecastle he was just in the door with key players thrown in at the deep end. Carl Starfelt started despite having had just one training session at Lennoxtown.
Kyogo came from he airport to come off the bench and the likes of Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers were still to be signed, as indeed where the important arrivals signed in January, including Matt O’Riley, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate. The Celtic players were trying to learn with a different style of football.
And Postecoglou was having to play want-away players and B team recruits in his squad in that first game of the 2021-22 season.
Compare that to Beale who has worked with his players since play resumed after the World Cup and has had weeks to prepare with his new recruits, and it’s night and day. There is little valid comparison.
Of course this is just another ploy to distract the Bears and take their mind off the real story, and that is of course that their side is struggling already in a season they were promised so much in that glorious summer spell between the season ending and play starting again.
Here are the highlights from the two games….
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
The defeat at Tynecastle was, in part, due to a shocking performance from Bobby Madden and his linesman. Celtic had a goal wrongly chalked off for offside. Halliday should also have had a red card that day too but his “Open Goal” buddy Madden let him off.