Ange Postecoglou’s long term future at Celtic was raised by Celtic Fan Media representatives ‘4Tims-and-a-Podcast’ at yesterday’s press conference ahead of tonight’s clash with St Mirren, when he was asked “If the club offered you a long-term contract would you like to stay at Celtic for, say, the next four or five years?”
🎙4Tims at the Pre Match Presser 🎙
Tony 🗣 If the club offered you a long term contract would you like to stay for the next 4/5 years?
Ange 🔽 pic.twitter.com/HFiNRqHiKM
— 4 Tims and a Podcast (@PodTims) March 1, 2022
Most managers in such a position would simply try and deflect such a question, instead Ange was far from irked and was instead fulsome in his praise of the support and patience he’s received from Celtic fans and it appears to be thinking long term at Celtic, even if he’s more than aware his future is not always in his own hands in the topsy turvy world of football.
“Look, I appreciate the kind words and I’ve appreciated the support I’ve had from day one. Our fans have been outstanding. On the weekend I know they were frustrated but they’re right behind this team and they’ve been a big part of the reason why we’ve been able to stick to our beliefs and the way we want to play our football because of the encouragement we’ve had from our supporters – even in times when things haven’t gone smoothly or it’s looked a bit of a struggle, I think they see the intent.
“I’m loving being manager of this club. I’ve never in my whole career worried about contracts. If it’s one year, it’s one glorious year. I’ll still work as if I’m going to be here forever. That’s how I’ve always worked and that’s how I’ll continue to work.
“Being the manager of this club fulfils everything that I’ve ever wanted as a manager. I’m in charge of a massive club, I get the opportunity to work at the highest level domestically and in Europe, I’m at a club where people are passionate about the same things I’m passionate about.
“As a manager, you learn to understand that sometimes your destiny is not in your own hands. At some point, it’ll all come to an end but I’m loving every minute of it and I hope it continues for a long time.”
There is no doubt Ange’s style of football is a huge attraction to the Celtic fans and one of the main reasons why many within the support would be happy to see the future of the club entrusted to Postecoglou.
However, it is also his immediate embracing and understanding of what Celtic means as an institution, the club’s charitable roots and being borne from an immigrant population that strikes a chord with the Celtic manager, given his own background when arriving in Australia at five years of age, as his parents sought a more stable environment than the political situation they left behind in Greece.
As such it has been said Ange Postecoglou ‘gets’ Celtic, and we as a support get Ange Postecoglou. That much is certainly true, but there is even more to it than that.
The manager – of course immediately warned at his first press conference by The Celtic Star editor – realises the mainstream press often have a barely disguised agenda, they regularly have a pre-planned narrative to run with and rarely were honest in their interpretation of previous manager’s words.
Postecoglou plays them with a straight bat, he delivers a consistent message and refuses to be drawn into barely disguised traps. As such the media have backed away from the cut, paste and twist approach somewhat, as they know Celtic have a manager who will fight the club’s corner. He doesn’t have his favourites, and if he does have those he dislikes, his consistent approach makes it difficult to tell.
There are few within the Celtic support who don’t back Ange Postecoglou to get more right than he gets wrong, on and off the field. As such know the club is in safe hands.
A long-term future under Ange Postecoglou is certainly a pleasing thought, and it appears the manager is enjoying his time at Celtic. Considering a more formal long-term arrangement should now be something Celtic consider in the near future. After all the incredible job he’s doing at Celtic won’t have gone unnoticed elsewhere.
Once again the Celtic Fan Media questions seem to be the ones that resonate with the Celtic manager and the answers are the ones that make the headlines. Well done to the Bhoys asking those questions yesterday at both Media conferences with Ange and also Carl Starfelt.
Niall J
