Ange Postecoglou doesn’t want a European exit at the hands of Bodo/Glimt to be used as a catalyst for an improved performance on Sunday against Hibs, as be believes success and not failure should the driver for his team going forward.

The manager instead sent out a message via Sky Sports as he reflected on his team’s European experience as a whole this season, that he wants it noted Sunday’s preparation would and should be the same, irrespective of whether Celtic won or lost on Thursday night .

“I’d hate to think that’s what it takes for us to kick on. Not being successful. What should make you kick on is being successful. So it is not the message I am giving the players. This is not about being disappointed and getting a reaction. It’s about not being disappointed in the first place by making sure we play at the level that I expect.

“Thursday was a disappointing end to the [European] campaign. But moving to Sunday, it would be the same approach, irrespective.”

🗣️”Just because you had a good performance in the last game doesn’t give you the grace to have an off night.”

Ange Postecoglou challenges his players to embrace the ‘relentlessness’ of playing for Celtic ahead of Sunday’s trip to Hibs – live on Sky Sports📺 pic.twitter.com/wa2bbmpu26

— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) February 25, 2022

When it comes to the European exit, Postecoglou doesn’t feel the two performances against Bod/Glimt reflect the strides Celtic did make in European competition as a whole and feels Celtic have come a long way in that environment this season, something that is perhaps being overlooked with the chastening defeat over two legs to the Norwegian champions.

However, there is no blame being attached to the players by the manager, instead Postecoglou is taking the responsibility onto his own shoulders.

“When I look at our European campaign and even the two Midtjylland games which came early, I thought we showed more intent. We were way too passive in two games against Bodo/Glimt and it’s disappointing because there was an opportunity to progress and we didn’t.

“That’s ultimately the level you have to be at all the time and you can’t drop below that or else you are not going to be successful. It’s not like I just expect us to perform well all of the time, but I think there are parts of the team that should be embedded into us to perform at certain levels and we just didn’t over the two games.

“That’s down to me. That’s my responsibility to make sure we address that because we want to be a team that does well in Europe, we want to make an impact whatever competition. When you look at it this year, we haven’t done that.”

READ THIS…Matt Corr’s Arctic Circle Diary – We’re all off to Bodo in the snow, in the snow

Whatever your point of view on Celtic’s disappointing European exit, what is done is done. There will be time to reflect as the season is analysed, for now the focus switches to Hibs on Sunday and a League title race Celtic now have a three-point advantage in, and intend to make it six when they face Hibs on Sunday, with theRangers not facing Motherwell until later in the afternoon.

And there is a message for Celtic’s big hitters, rested for the visit to the Arctic Circle, to use the time out to their advantage and be ready come Sunday lunchtime.

“They have to be because it is going to be a difficult game. The guys who didn’t play or start against Bodo/Glimt are going to have to make sure they are ready for it.”

Niall J