Ange Postecoglou’s Media Conference yesterday was business-like and somewhat mundane by the usual highly entertaining standards. No journalist stepped out of line to get a ‘listen mate’ answer and nothing particularly stood out as a top Ange moment where he took any perceived agenda or over negative approach to task. The hacks it would appear have probably adopted a ‘once bitten, twice shy’ approach to these Media Conferences – for now anyway – with the Celtic Manager and are simply happy to survive the experience themselves without incurring the wrath of the Australian.
Indeed if it’s entertainment value that you’re looking for we’d recommend as an alternative Fran Alonso’s Media Conference earlier in the day when the Celtic FC Women manager does not hold back when talking about the most incredible refereeing decision that went against his side the night before when Celtic wingback Chloe Craig was the victim of the most outrageous tackle you’ll see anywhere but the referee decided that it didn’t even merit a yellow card never mind the straight red that it should have been. Listen to Fran answering the first two questions put by The Celtic Star below, after we show you the challenge we’re talking about.
Happens in the women’s game as well, not even a card pic.twitter.com/v03XOeEnfG
— Ronnie Munro (@rondonaldo) February 10, 2022
We’ll have more on what Fran Alonso had to say yesterday and of tomorrow’s 1pm kick-off of the Celtic v theRangers Scottish Cup tie at Penny Cars Stadium in Airdrie, so you can attempt to get to both games tomorrow. Also please note that the women’s game is live on both Pass to Paradise and also on TikTok.
Ange spoke as well as he always does, he can only answer the questions that are put to him, and from those we get the impression that Celtic are preparing to go up the gears as we get to the business end of the season with one trophy already in the cabinet at Celtic Park and three more – the league, Scottish Cup and Europa Conference League – to play for.
And after a perfect start to 2022 in the league with wins over Hibs (H), Hearts (A) and theRangers (H) as well as Dundee United (H) Mothewwell (A) and Aberdeen (A).
“We are getting a strong squad which means there’s competition for places and no-one wants to miss out. That gives me the opportunity to set higher benchmarks for us. With the competition for places, I can rotate the team and that means that certain things like our intensity, our tempo, our intent to play our football, shouldn’t really drop.
“There were probably times, particularly in the first half of the year, where I had to make allowances that we weren’t going to be as sharp as we possibly could because the players were playing so much football.
“So you assess a game a bit differently, and say we may have been a bit flat in certain parts of the game but there’s a reason for that. Whereas now, with the talent we have available, irrespective of the changes I make those things should be there.
“It’s not so much changing the team for tactical reasons, it’s about changing the team to make sure everyone can perform at the levels we want. It’s not about saying ‘He is going to be better than him’.
“It’s more about saying ‘Which 11 players are going to bring the energy and tempo we need, who is looking the best in training, who needs a game to get to that level, who maybe needs a bit of a rest?’ It’s different for me now. My assessment has a higher threshold than before.”
This increase in options available to the Celtic Manager means that he will be able to fine tune his attacking style of play throughout games.
“It should, in theory, moving forward. Even theRangers game we were still pretty restricted in terms of what we had on the bench. Not the players but the make-up of the bench. It’s only been post-Rangers game that we have got some bodies back and all of a sudden got some real options, both within a game and between games.
“But I have been around long enough to know that can change pretty quickly as well. What I’m trying to do is make hay while the sun shines. So I’m trying to get as much in now while we have got the players in and hopefully that stays until the end of the year, which means we can accelerate a lot of things.
“But, if not, and if we are again in a position where we are restricted, we still have a big squad. We are in a good place. They key word is progress. The players and everyone have been fantastic but we are still building something. We are still putting pieces together to be the team we want and progress is the No 1 thing.
“We have had different challenges in the last week and I am looking at how we are dealing with it all. I am really pleased, not just results-wise, but with the performances and trajectory of the team.”
Raith Rovers are the visitors to Celtic Park tomorrow, this time in the Scottish Cup. Postecoglou has already had a chance to look at the Fifers at close quarters as they played at Celtic Park in the League Cup last September.
“It’s the next game and the next challenge and we don’t want to let our standards slip in any way. We won’t think we can cruise through a game. The relentlessness is still there, this is a cup we want to do well in. We try not to differentiate between the challenges we have — from the league, to the League Cup and Europe.
“Cup football is a bit different but the football we play is transferable. So nothing has changed in our mindset. It’s a cup game and we know the nature of the competitions. We have seen it here and all over the world, irrespective of who you are playing it’s a one-off game. It will be a good challenge for us.
“We are at home and that will give us an advantage to play our football, but they will be coming to try to cause a shock and we just have to be ready for it.
“Ideguchi is probably the only significant difference, he is fully training now and available for the game. Apart from the long-term ones, Josip will probably not be back for Sunday but will be fine for midweek.”
🗣 @FranAlonsoFA spoke to the media yesterday ahead of tomorrow’s #ScottishWCup Glasgow Derby clash 👇
📺 Remember you can watch the action LIVE on @CelticFCPass, @tiktok_us, @YouTube and @facebookapp!🤩https://t.co/WofMf270gf
— Celtic FC Women (@CelticFCWomen) February 12, 2022
