Ange Postecoglou has been speaking to Sky Sports ahead of Celtic’s Boxing Day visit to McDiarmid Park to play St Johnstone in front of just 500 home supporters in what is now the final match of 2021. With the winter break kicking in straight after the final whistle the Celtic manager can turn his attention to getting the injured Celtic players back to full fitness and also bring in his long heralded January recruits, more than likely from the J-League.
While all this can wait until the lunchtime kick-off in Perth has run its course, and both teams are in desperate need of all three points, Ange is relishing the chance to get his squad ship-shape for the second half the season, probably sensing the fear that is out there along with the violin playing.
Yet it’s amazing how the same supporters that with false bravado have been calling the league and their delusional 56th title after Celtic failed to beat the parked bus in Paisley to give them a six point advantage yet just a few years ago when they were 13 points behind Celtic in March and needing two Old Firm (sic) wins plus a couple of snookers elsewhere at a time when Celtic had dropped just two points all that year, they were crying their eyes out that the league could still have been won the title.
So let’s not fall into the trap off writing Celtic off just yet. That’s why they wanted to take full advantage of the public health emergency – and I’m writing this on Christmas Day while self isolating after testing positive for Covid in midweek post Hampden where Celtic win the first domestic trophy of the season – by playing at Pittodrie and Celtic Park in front of just 500 fans.
It’s not often I’d take my hat off for Neil Doncaster but his ‘compromise’ proposal the other day turned what was heading to be a huge advantage for theRangers into anything but. They didn’t care that almost 50,000 of their own supporters who had paid for the game tomorrow against St Mirren would not be allowed to attend. They didn’t see a problem picking up the three points, and the 500 Rangers (sic) fans will be boosted by three or four match officials, it was effectively empty stadiums at Pittodrie and Celtic Park that appealed to their warped sense of sporting integrity.
Celtic would have had 119,000 tickets to refund had the games against Hibs and theRangers gone ahead as scheduled. When the league was curtailed the season before last Celtic offer full refunds to all supporters for matches that they didn’t get to attend. The would have had to do so again had the winter break not been bought forward. And theRangers did NOT offer full refunds the last time, wonder if they’ll d so for the supporters ho don’t get th attend tomorrow. If you are posting on social media remind them about that will you?
So Doncaster’s compromise shafted them big-time and had them squealing away, even allowing Alan McGregor to go in-front of the cameras to lecture us all. The problem at Ibrox these days is that no-one over there sees the irony in that. Meanwhile a cynic might congratulate the SPFL CEO on getting his own back for the latest Ibrox club’s attempt to ruin his cinch sponsorship deal.
Earlier in the season we published an article about the fixtures that remarkably sent Celtic to all the toughest away grounds in the first round of matches and theRangers to none of them. Again a cynic might think that the best chance for a Celtic side undergoing a massive overhaul in personnel might be before the new manager gets his squad together and has them playing the way that he wants.
And remember Celtic played at a full Ibrox because the 750 tickets actually given to Celtic were rescinded because theRangers wanted a cast-iron guarantee that Celtic would allow 750 of their supporters into Celtic Park for the second meeting of the season. Celtic agreed but added the obvious and totally reasonable provision that these tickets would be provided unless public health matters meant that the Government enforced new restrictions, as indeed did happen. That was not good enough for theRangers. Sporting integrity? More like desperate to extract every possible advantage that they can from this covid crisis, starting with saving Steven Gerrard’s job. We remember what happened after Hamilton won at Ibrox at the start of March 2019. One thing they weren’t singing was “we’re gonna win the league”.
So back to Ange speaking to Sky Sports about getting ready For Celtic, 2022. “We are still with the intent of trying to bring them (his new signings) early and if we can and, from my perspective, it would be ideal if we can get them in from when we re-start training and give them a lead into the second half of the year.
“We’ve got a plan in place,” Ange added. “Obviously now we know there is some certainty around fixtures and when our first game back is, we will come up with a plan where hopefully we will get some of our guys who are injured back on the training pitch which would be great and also bring in a few.
“We are still with the intent of trying to bring them early and if we can and, from my perspective, it would be ideal if we can get them in from when we restart training and give them a bit of lead into the second half of the year.”
The Celtic manager has a much better understanding of the club, the players which were already at the club and have stayed on and his dozen additions in the summer and knows exactly what he needs in this window. He’s had time to prepare for this through months of planning and expects the new arrivals to make a significant impact. That’s a viewed shared down river judging by the fear in their outbursts.
“It’s challenging, I don’t think I’ll go through another transfer period like the first one, we had to bring in 12, that was something unique,” Ange added. “This time I can be a bit more measured, we have been working at it a lot longer, we kind of know what we want, it’s still a challenge because it’s not an exact science. Hopefully we get them in, we get the ones we want in and get them in early.”
TWICE AS GOOD
Thanks to everyone who ordered Harry Hood – Twice as Good for Christmas presents. If you got an Ange jumper instead then why not order this brilliant book by Matt Corr, or indeed David Potter’s biography of another Celtic legend Alec McNair – born on this day incidentally – from Celtic Star Books or from the official Celtic stores?
The one team in Scotland that should keep there head down when sporting entegerity it has made people think they are the same team pre 2012.winning leagues with players wages payed for by a tax law that was unlawfull and hand picked Law Lord who’s aligens was questionable and should have been questionedand not buried like registration of a celtic player who atop official was relieved of duty to help the now defunct rangers
See you couldn’t resist the dig at officials alleged support for Rangers. Celtic are always victims, and as for Jack’s reply, grow up, the constant conspiracy claims don’t add up. Ask the Celtic board for answers.