Ange Postecoglou reckons that Dundee United have had a difficult few weeks but know that fortunes can turn around quickly in football and Jack Ross will be looking to today’s game against the Champions as an opportunity to get his side’s season back on track after a horrible few weeks since they defeated AZ Alkmaar in their European qualifier at today’s venue.
That result and indeed performance will mean that the Celtic manager, who would have been watching the action on television, will be very well aware of the potential risks at Tannadice today if Jack Ross can coax that type of performances from his team.
“They are struggling, but that is the nature of football,” Ange said at his Media Conference on Friday afternoon.
“If you had said to me a couple of weeks ago after they beat AZ at home, would they be in this situation? I would have said ‘no’. That is the nature of football it can change quickly.
“We’ve got to be ready for that. We have got to ignore the fact that they are struggling and think they are going to come out sort of weakened.
“We are going to make sure that we are preparing as we always do for them to be at their best and to make it difficult.
“Last year we had a challenge down there, particularly in the last away game where we had to win the league they gave us a really strong game, and we know it is not going to be an easy fixture, and it’s important that we continue on our form.”
Today’s match comes too early for new signing Sead Haksabanovic, who trained with his new teammates on Friday but will be given a few weeks to get up to speed before we’re likely to see him in the match-day squad.
Today’s match is the first of an intense schedule of matches up to the break for the World Cup and while Ange Postecoglou has selected pretty much the same team over a more leisurely than usual start to the season with just one game a week for the first month, that is likely to change and perhaps for the trip to Dingwall in midweek for the League Cup tie against Ross County we’ll see quite a few changes to the starting eleven.
