After another disappointing result yesterday, this time at home to Dundee United, Ange Postecoglou spoke to the media after the game and had a peculiar view on how things are going so far this season.
Speaking to Clyde 1 after the game Postecoglou said: “I know people are wanting to push me on some kind of edge of a ledge somewhere, it’s just not going to happen. I don’t worry about those things. I look at how my team is playing and what we’re trying to create.
“I know that frustrates people because I know they want me to say – I don’t know what they want me to say, to be honest with you. I know what the club’s about, I know what the expectations are and I believe the road we’ve started on will get us there, so we’ll just keep going.
It’s a weird league! You call things early here, don’t you? It’s quite remarkable that we’re seven games in and people are calling the title already.
“It’s just not how I work and I’m not pulling up stumps after seven games because other people seem to think there’s some sort of unsurmountable challenge out there for us. If we weren’t playing well and we were struggling through things then by all means I’d be looking at things a lot differently.
“But with the efforts we’re putting in at the moment, the football we’re playing, the chances we’re creating and what we’ve got to come back into the team, I just see it totally differently”.
🎥 “It’s a weird league, you call things early here don’t you…I’m not pulling up stumps after 7 games…”
There’s no panic from Ange Postecoglou after Celtic dropped more points with a draw against Dundee United. pic.twitter.com/X0Wub8Jmbz
— Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (@ClydeSSB) September 26, 2021
In certain ways I can see where Ange is coming from. It’s isn’t like we are playing terribly, it’s just that we aren’t getting the results, especially in matches we are expected to win like today’s and last weeks match against Livingston.
Thinking back to last season and some of the turgid football we were playing under Neil Lennon, our current displays don’t seem quite as bad. It was clear to see last season that some of the players were disinterested, their minds already wondering how much money they will be making a week in the land of milk and honey down in the EPL (or EFL in Ryan’s case). At least this group of players seem like they are trying to give 100%.
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On the other hand I think Ange needs to realise that playing fast, exciting, attacking football is important to Celtic fans, always has been, but more important is getting results. Saying it’s a weird league because people are starting to wonder if we are letting the league slip away after only 7 games is totally wrong.
This is the worst start we have had to a league campaign in 23 years. In other years in the not to distant past we have went through whole seasons with less defeats than we have already in this one.
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Ange claims he knows the expectations of the club. If that was true he surely knows this start has not been good enough. Yes, it’s a brand new team trying to gel and having to deal with a fair few injuries. But on the other hand the players on the park are handsomely paid professionals, players with big reputations, many with international experience. With no disrespect to the other SPFL teams but these players should have the capabilities to go out and beat these sides.
We need to find consistency soon. A run of good results in the league is crucial, whether that is by playing the expansive football Ange loves, or by just grinding out wins until we get over this mini slump.
Conall McGinty
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Defiance? This one is going to comeback to bite him as his backside hits the pavement in a few months time. 10 points from 21. 31 games left. Look at the recent history of the league. How many times in the past 10/15 years OK this century has a team won the league with less than 90 points. Off the top of my head possible 3 or 4. That means we need 80 points from 93. We need 25 wins and 5 draws out of 31 games. This is an approximation. Does anyone foresee Celtic going on such a run, playing 5 games before Christmas after a European game into the bargain. If you think this is possible get to the bookies and stick a tenner on it as you will get about 500-1. We will get about 2 or 3 points from our next 3 League games if we are lucky. They might be 12 points in front. Ange clearly does not get it with these comments. If he did he would never have made them. He does not have time. By November the supporters will be screaming for him to be sacked. I personally think a defeat at the New Year will seal his fate. The board will be keen not be make last year’s mistake. The cut will be made earlier and the next hapless half-wit will be wheeled out much quicker and the whole sorry process will start again. If Ange does not know this then he is a fool.
I have to agree with you John the more he speaks the more he’s becoming like Tony mowbray and we all were delighted when he got the job and look where we finished that season, just liked we backed Brady and Barnes and they ended up disasters.
I like Ange and I think if he had a better squad with fitter players to play his system it would work but sadly we don’t have that.
On a plus for this season is we have found a possible future Celtic coach in joe hart in my time i can’t ever remember a goalie taking so much responsibility on the field.
It is working out exactly as most people predicted. The only difference was a fleeting fortnight of hope (you know what they say, it’s the hope that kills you). There will always be injuries and to be fair he isn’t using it as an excuse and he does know how Big the club is. But he is another defeat away from a full rebellion. There is only one way this is heading and it ain’t good for Ange. People will not accept being so far behind them. To be honest I thought we might be three or four points behind by this time. It is actually worse than I thought. Despite Kyogo and Abada.