Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou refused to get too carried away with the 3-2 win over Dundee which sent his side three points clear at ‘the top of the league, looking down on theRangers’ as the Celtic Fans were singing in the closing moments of the game and also as they made their way to the exits…
It was worth it 🥲 YAAAAAAAAAS!!! #CELDUN pic.twitter.com/D8MvllQ4FL
— KAMIL BHOY🏴🇮🇪 (@KamilBhoy10) February 20, 2022
“I am pleased for the players and they got their rewards. I thought we played well today and controlled the game. We created a lot of opportunities and scored three goals and we should have had a comfortable victory. We were disappointed to be done with set pieces that kept them in the game and we ended up having to find a way to win in the end. As I said I can’t fault the player’s performance or desire and endeavour after they equalised,” Ange Postecoglou said as he reflected on the 3-2 win over Dundee that increased Celtic lead at the top of the table to three points – a remarkable turn-around from the six point deficit that Celtic were facing at the start of the year.
Ange’s belief in his team and the football they play didn’t diminish as the match moved into the last 5 minutes level at 2-2. “You can’t get frustrated. You have to stick to the process. We have to stick to playing our football and that is where the answers lie. They don’t lie in changing anything or losing our heads and I thought it was important at that moment after totally dominating the game, it is very easy for anxiety to build up and get a bit nervous as well. We just had to stay calm and play our football and we created a few opportunities after that and got a good goal.”
Asked about his players’ patience and strong mentality were major factors in turning a frustrating draw into a significant victory, the Celtic manager reckons he’s been seeing this all season long.
“Look we have had to all year and we continue to do that. There is no doubt we will have to continue to do that as it is going to be that sort of season. I have said all along that nothing will go smooth this year and it is impossible for that to happen. We are trying to achieve what we want to achieve on the back of so many changes. There is going to be some ups and downs but through it most of the time the players have found a way through and they did again today,” Ange added.
On hat-trick hero Giorgos Giakoumakis, Ange was clearly delighted with his summer signing. “Giorgos has been good and he has been working awfully hard for us without always getting the reward he has been a bit unlucky at times with goalkeepers pulling off good saves.
“That’s why I brought him to the cub as you saw today with the opposition putting so many players in the box and defending so deep we need somebody with presence in there and he has got bags of it. That’s where his strengths lie as he has a real presence in the box and he is a good finisher, I was pleased that he got his three goals.”
Asked about the results today – Celtic’s dramatic 3-2 win coupled with Dundee Utd holding theRangers to a 1-1 draw at Tannadice – and if these would be pivotal in the title race, Ange wasn’t for buying it. “No. We were six points behind not long ago so things change very quickly. What’s important is that during those times we were behind we just focused on what we were doing and that’s what we need to do.
“You saw that today as we played really well and dominated the game but results are not a given. In football, you have got to earn everything you get and we had to earn it today. We are going to have to earn everything else from here on in.”
On Celtic’s next game, the second leg of the Europa Conference League round of 16 play-off, in Norway on Thursday night, Ange gave his thoughts on turning around the tie.
“We will just try and play our football and do what we have been doing all year. It is a different challenge for us, it is an opportunity and we know we are more than capable of scoring goals away from home so we have to go over there and put in a strong performance and hopefully get the job done.”
John Collins says these teams practise set prices cause they know they won’t play through celtic I see it every week 10men in there on half goalie aim for touch line hoping to get a throw of a celtic player then it’s ball down the line get close enough for long throw or a foul or corner first half bit slow understandable with condition Dundee to backs played well ralston ran 60uds to cross ball for goal and jurnuvic was ahead of him I’ll bet Dundee full backs never got past the half line except for throw ins that’s how celtic won ralston got some energy