“We need to stick to our standards and levels,” Ange tells players hard work is only beginning

After watching his team obliterate SC Wiener Viktoria of Austria, Ange Postecoglou insisted he was pleased with the manner of the result but revealed that the hard work starts now in the race to be ready for the beginning of the new Scottish Premiership season kicking off.

🏃‍♂️ Pre-season plans
🇦🇺 Harry Kewell's arrival
🏆Aiming to retain the title
📝Jullien & Juranovic updates
➡️Keeping Jota & Carter-Vickers

Hear from Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou from the club's pre-season camp in Austria as the champions prepare for the new campaign 👇 pic.twitter.com/NUyHCu0lQM

— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) July 8, 2022

On Wednesday there were multiple things to be please about for the manager, not least of all how well his young player’s conducted themselves during the entirety of the match in Vienna; ensuring the intensity did not drop off, which would have been easy considering the deficit at half-time.

Speaking of the game and looking forward to Saturday’s match up with Wiener’s compatriots Rapid Vienna, the boss articulated that he intends to crack the whip even more now.

He said: “We have obviously just started pre-season, so the ones that played today are the ones that came in earlier and had an extra week under their belt. We’ve had a good couple of days here, the boys have been working hard and they’re not going into the game feeling fresh because we’re pushing them hard.

“Considering all that, the intent and effort were good, particularly in the first half, so I’m pleased with the overall effort. These games are about everything – your fitness, playing our football, the standards we set, everything’s included. Irrespective of it being the first game or the last game of pre-season, you want to make a mark with everything we do and for the most part it was positive.”

Ange spoke of the opportunities pre-season presents for younger players, such as Bosun Lawal and Rocco Bata who both did their credibility no harm whatsoever.

Ange continued: “It’s been good through the pre-season, we’ve had guys coming in at different stages, so this is a window of opportunity for some of the younger guys to come in and experience the environment and for us to have a look at them. They’ve all acquitted themselves well and they all realise what’s required at this level and they’ve been solid contributors. It doesn’t change for us irrespective of who the opposition is.

The Celtic manager added: “We need to stick to our standards and levels and we have some hard work to put in with the boys and they’re willing participants in that. They want it and know this is the time for us to lay a strong foundation for what’s ahead. We’ve had a good couple of days training and hopefully we have a good strong finish to the week.”

It sounds as though Ange is determined to get this current group to an even higher level than last year. With Champions League group stage football lying in wait, the need for elite performance levels throughout the squad is crucial. Last year, far too many of the same names were asked to go to the well and it cost us at time – once in the domestic cup and in Europe also. We have to ensure everyone in the squad is ready to step in and perform to the same standard, if and when required.