67 Hail Hail - Celtic FC News

Ange Postecoglou was one of Celtic’s most successful managers in recent times and his short legacy at Parkhead will last for years to come down the line.

While Brendan Rodgers has delivered three trophies since his departure, the Australian manager is fondly remembered in Glasgow due to his swashbuckling style of play and defiant football principles.

Adhering to the Celtic way earns you far more admirers than detractors in these parts, and it is no surprise he has gone on to build an exciting young side at Tottenham Hotspur after leaving for north London.

Admittedly, it will take time for Ange Postecoglou to fully forge his vision at Spurs, but as Hoops’ fans know all too well, he won’t leave any stone unturned in the environment he now calls home.

Celtic and the 59-year-old may be on diverging journeys now. However, he has made an intriguing observation regarding a process at his new club that bears similarity to his spell at Parkhead.

Ange Postecoglou facing a similar situation to his time at Celtic

Speaking ahead of Tottenham’s EFL Cup quarter-final clash against Manchester United on Thursday evening, Postecoglou reacted to Yang Min-hyeok’s arrival from Gangwon FC and the intrinsic benefits having a period to settle before officially training with a new club can have for Asian stars.

Referencing the process during his time at Celtic with several arrivals from the continent, he said: “Yeah he has been in the building the last couple of days sort of having a good look around.

“Obviously we can’t register him until January 1st so he won’t train with us but I always feel it’s good, I had this experience at Celtic with the Asian lads we brought in, the Japanese and Korean boys, bringing them in before Christmas which allows them to settle in, especially off the field.

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“That way by the time we get to register them in a couple of weeks they are already settled and can train fully.

“It’s good to see him around. He has been doing some English lessons which is great, he’s already sort of conversing and it’s great to have him in the building.”

Celtic have found value own their own in the Asian market

Although Celtic haven’t visited the Japanese or Korean market since Hyunjun Yang and Hyeokkyu Kwon were brought in last summer, there is still a healthy core of players from that side of the world that are leading lights on the pitch.

None more so than Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda, who continue to play a pivotal role in claiming silverware.

Will the club look to conduct any business from the continent as a whole come January? It remains to be seen, but there is plenty of value to be had for sure.

Celtic fans will always hold a warm place in their heart for Ange Postecoglou following his success during two glittering years at Parkhead.

The Australian brought five trophies to Glasgow’s east end during his time in charge, including back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles.

Since Tottenham Hotspur appointed Ange Postecoglou, his side has earned mixed reviews and although extremely entertaining, there have often been erratic results along the way.

Of course, Celtic fans know there is a wider process to believe in that belies sole outcomes, but now everyone has taken the same approach south of the border.

After Spurs slipped into tenth following a disappointing defeat at Bournemouth on Thursday, Postecoglou has delivered an honest reaction to his critics.

Former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou reacts to doubters

Speaking ahead of Spurs’ clash against Chelsea tomorrow, Postecoglou has admitted that he doesn’t care about what others have to say regarding his style of management and recent results.

He stated [BBC Sport]: “They aren’t behind me, they are behind the club. I have got no interest in who is behind me.

“Last night you have to figure the fans who travel to Bournemouth are fairly hardcore supporters.

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“They weren’t happy with what they saw and they felt like they needed to give some feedback. I took the feedback onboard and we move on.”

Posteclgou will figure it out at Tottenham Hotspur

Postecoglou has won everywhere he has gone prior to Tottenham, but he needs time to enact his philosophy at a club with growing expectations.

Despite that pressure to claim results, Spurs haven’t won a single major honour since 2008, so there is a common denominator here that doesn’t need to be expanded on.

Celtic were comfortable victors over Aberdeen in the semi-final of the Premier Sports Cup, defeating the Don’s 6-0 to progress to the final in December.

Although many predicted a tight affair due to Aberdeen’s impressive league start, it was quite the contrary as Celtic cruised to victory and Jimmy Thelin suffered his first loss as Aberdeen manager.

Celtic will now face Rangers in the final after they defeated Motherwell 2-1 in the other semi-final thanks to goals from Cyriel Dessers and Nedim Bajrmai.

The game is set to take place on the 15th of December 2024 and will be the second Old Firm fixture of the season, and just three days prior, a familiar face will be back in Scotland – only behind enemy lines.

Ange Postecoglou will return to Scotland to face Rangers before Premier Sports Cup Final

Three days before the Premier Sports Cup Final, Rangers will go up against Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur side on matchday six of the Europa League.

This will be Postecoglou’s first competitive match in Scotland in almost two years, as earlier this year Spurs thrashed Hearts 5-1 in a pre-season friendly.

‘Big Ange’ knows all about the intensity of a match against Rangers, as he managed Celtic on 11 occasions against their Glasgow rivals winning six, drawing two, and losing three others.

The Aussie led ‘The Hoops’ to back-to-back league titles in his tenure as boss, and also helped Celtic win a domestic treble in his second season. Despite his success, Ange was admired for his captivating style of play and the never-say-die attitude that he instilled within his teams.

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Life for Ange Postecoglou as Tottenham Manager

Postecoglou has made a good start to life at Tottenham, as his side finished 5th in the table last season, which was three places above their finish the season prior.

He has stuck to his morals and often refused to alter his style of play or way of thinking, which many Spurs fans seem to respect.

This season, they are still in all the available cup competitions and are sitting 7th in the table. Ange has gone on record reminding supporters that he has always won trophies in his second season at a club.

Ange Postecoglou’s post-Celtic career has not yet taken off.

The Australian was beloved at Parkhead with droves of supporters following his two season stint in Glasgow where he lifted five trophies which landed him his big move to the Premier League.

It was a baptism of fire last term for Postecoglou having joined Tottenham Hotspur who had just lost Harry Kane to Bayern Munich but he managed to guide them to a respectable fifth.

Fast forward a few months, though, and his time in North London has not been as rosy this term.

The club sit ninth with three victories and as many defeats in seven fixtures and their form has had some punters questioning his future.

It leaves open an intriguing possibility with the club also in the midst of a potential takeover by Amanda Staveley and her husband and business partner Mehrdad Ghodoussi who previously co-owned Newcastle United.

And that’s where the Celtic link reignites with a former managerial rival of Postecoglou’s for the Hoops job, Eddie Howe, being named by the Sun as a possible replacement option if the bid goes through.

Ange Postecoglou is under pressure at Tottenham Hotspur

Howe was desperately close to agreeing terms with the Celtic board back in May of 2021 after Neil Lennon had resigned and got so far down the line that he was attempting to pick out backroom staff members.

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The board confirmed, however, that following the collapse of the move, they had indeed hoped to bring in the Englishman.

Eddie Howe was also a Celtic manager target like Postecoglou after Neil Lennon resigned

Howe and Ange’s paths have crossed more than once, then, both on and off the field and outside of the dugout and there are claims that Stavely and her team would consider reaching out to Howe’s camp should they manage the takeover.

Postecoglou has been adamant in recent weeks that he can turn things around as he demanded that reporters show him respect over his trophy haul.

Ange Postecoglou hit Celtic like a hurricane in 2021, revitalising multiple areas of the club from the doldrums of the prior failed season.

Not only did he bring a new swashbuckling style of play to the team but he injected urgency into the club’s transfer dealings too, as well as bringing a brilliant inclusive attitude to the Celtic support.

Having made his name in football in less glamorous markets, Postecoglou knew full well the value of untapped leagues as he looked to attract new quality to Scotland.

Signing Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate – amongst others – the Australian found fan-favourite stars on the cheap from Japan.

Currently on tour there with his Spurs side, he’s made it clear it’s something he’d like to replicate in London.

Postecoglou references Celtic work when discussing Spurs transfers

The former Celtic manager said in a press conference earlier [Football London]: “Everyone knows me. I spent close to four years here in Japan. I think the J League is a competition that ranks, with apart from the big five leagues in Europe, I believe it ranks in quality with other leagues.

“Japan has a lot of players who are doing well across the world. We’ve seen Mitoma go to Brighton and the Premier League and I took a number of players to Celtic.”

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Postecoglou reckons South Korea has value too, again referencing the work he did with the Bhoys.

He continued: “I’m well aware of the quality of the K League. When I was at Celtic we were looking to bring over a couple of Korean players. They have made a fantastic impact across Europe, none bigger than our Sonny. He’s an outstanding indivudual. So yes, we’ll be looking far and wide for players.”

Celtic can still find Asian bargains without Ange

Even after Postecoglou waved goodbye to Glasgow, the club has persisted in looking at Asian markets. Although likely scouted when he was still here, Hyunjun Yang and Hyeokkyu Kwon arrived under Brendan Rodgers.

They’ve been less successful than other imports at Celtic but still hold potential. The club will likely continue to look at far-flung leagues to find a gem or two, even if Rodgers is more focused on quality closer to home.

Getting that balance right between developing emerging talent and keeping the starting eleven stocked with players who can push the team on to new heights is a fine line that the club will hopefully walk successfully over the next few years.