The Celtic support stepped up again, Paradise looked and sounded magnificent last night with every ticket sold for a Europa League match. Have a quick look around other ties played last night, nowhere will have had that size of attendance or that kind of atmosphere.
The result went as many of us expected against what is a top German side playing themselves a style of football that Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou is attempting to bring to our club. Around me in the North Stand as Celtic conceded goal after goal there was nothing negative being shouted towards the manager who maintains the faith and admiration from the vast majority of the Celtic support.
Celtic v Leverkusen – . Photo Andrew Milligan
Afterwards the manager was more candid than usual in discussing the errors from his players that gave us a scoreline of 0-4 that felt more like a 2-2 draw in the way the action ebbed and flowed. The difference was at the most crucial moments the German side defender brilliantly at their end of the park and ruthlessly exploited their opportunities at the other end, while Celtic squandered numerous chances (again) and indulged in unfunny comedy defending.
Ange came in very late in the day after the Celtic Board kept Neil Lennon in place for around 5 or 6 months after it became obvious that his time was up. They them compounded this by waiting for months on an unemployed manager deciding if he wanted the Celtic job or not. He didn’t so Celtic looked to Japan.
Ange Postecoglou’s record tells us that he will turn this around if he’s given the time by the support and the resources by the board. He has had one rushed transfer window, where players who had been identified by the club ahead of his arrival were being brought in, so there could have been little or no thought given to whether these recruits were suitable for the Angeball style of football that we are watching being developed at the moment.
The support will stay behind Ange for now. The Board – and remember Dom McKay has come and gone and we now have an intern Chief Executive, Michael Nicholson, who has said NOTHING at all to the Celtic support since being appointed – will have to back Postecoglou in January.
Celtic Park Celtic temporary chief executive Michael Nicholson (centre) Photo: Jeff Holmes
Last night the fans turned up yet again and were magnificent yet again. The support got Celtic through the pandemic in decent financial shape but the relationship with the Board is now at a low ebb, to say the least. Ange Postecoglou needs to be given the backing and for that to happen they have to believe in the manager that they themselves appointed. It they aren’t going to do that then Postecoglou won’t hang around. His patience is wearing thin with the hand he’s been given. His rebuild can lead us to an exciting place but without ambition from the boardroom there could be major trouble ahead.
The clock is ticking for those people thinking that our club belongs to them.
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