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Ange Postecoglou

Discussion in 'Ex Players' started by Mr. Slippyfist, May 29, 2021.

Discuss Ange Postecoglou in the Ex Players area at TalkCeltic.net.

  1. eire4

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    Thats all fair I think and I agree. Biggest surprise for me yesterday was why he didn't bring on McCarthy for Hatate for that last 15 minutes or so when we were 1-0 up. He has done that a few times with Biton and moved McGregor to the 8 so that surprised me as McCarthy has looked decent in recent sub appearances. As an aside do we know why Biton was not on the bench as I cannot believe he just didn't get picked. There must have been an injury or illness I assume.
     
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  2. RalstonFanClubPresident

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    I agree they were the better team yesterday and we had a lot of players off it, but it was still a tight game which we could, and probably should have won if CCV buries that glorious chance to go 2-0 up.

    Although in the past two matches there have been long periods where we soaked up pressure after going ahead, this was the first time that they were really effective in stopping us building play through the centre of the pitch. They basically flooded the midfield and stopped us from playing (aided by an extremely lenient ref)

    Ange has been good up to now at making small tactical tweaks to the system when needed, so it's over to him and the players to address this when we play them at CP, because their gameplan is unlikely to change. No way do they sit off us again like they did when we blew them away 3-0.
     
  3. RalstonFanClubPresident

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    I don't think yesterday was about a lack of application or not wanting it enough, it was more that tactically they nullified us (which ultimately is Ange's responsibility) and because our players made poor decisions in the final third time and time again (which is on the players)

    Absolutely this needs to be addressed, but we have a league to win so maintaining some semblance of confidence amongst the players is important. We need a performance against Ross County similar to the one against St. Johnstone, which I don't think necessitates the Riot Act - the players have done great in the league this season, so we just have to refocus the * on how crucial it is we get back to that.
     
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  4. Mr. Slippyfist

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    Made mistakes yesterday and couldn't comprehend how to match up the centre midfield that they completely dominated.

    He'll have to learn quickly from his mistakes, which to be fair he has done this season.
     
  5. rudebhoy67 Gold Member Gold Member

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    There was a lack of application. As you said, there were players making the wrong decisions, being greedy, there were players pulling out of tackles, there were players taking too long on the ball and/or players not making enough off the ball movement, there were players jogging back at turnover of possession and others not getting up in support quick enough. That is not a team applying itself properly or carrying out its managers instructions properly. If we accept that the team was applying itself fully yesterday then we would have to accept that the opposition are simply a better side than us.

    The Riot Act absolutely had to be read to them, be that yesterday or today at training, and should be every time a display like yesterday happens. Big occasions need big performances, it's the managers job to ensure that is ingrained into their psyche and to let them know that yesterday was unacceptable.
     
  6. Henrik 07 Gold Member Gold Member

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    FROM the very start, many predicted this season would be an uphill struggle for Celtic. Bedding in a new manager was one thing, but Ange Postecoglou's first remit in the job was to almost completely rebuild the playing squad too.

    That they have overcome most of the challenges laid down to them to be leading the Premiership by six points with five games to go is worthy of praise, even if it was cold comfort to the Celtic manager in the aftermath of their Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Rangers.

    The bigger picture of course is that carrot still dangles in front of his team, but while the title is tantalisingly close, Postecoglou is expecting there may be some further rough terrain to navigate on their way to their ultimate goal.

    His men have proven themselves adept at quickly recovering from setbacks so far this season, though they haven't been forced to absorb a gut punch of the nature of the one they suffered on Sunday thus far.

    That recovery too will be an uphill battle, but one Postecoglou expects his men to rise to. As he explained to his players in the aftermath of the game on Sunday; ‘the road to success is not downhill’. He found it a little harder to explain though why many of his players appeared to be struggling up a fair old slope as they strained to match the run of Calvin Bassey that led to the Rangers winner, mind you.

    Indeed, it seemed that for most of the afternoon, and particularly in extra-time, that the Rangers players who had played 120 minutes against Braga on Thursday evening – albeit against 10 men for the most part, and even nine towards the end – had the greater reserves of energy to draw on.

    “I didn’t see it that way,” Postecoglou rebutted. “They did press us, but I still thought we had our moments to play through, and we did.

    “In these kind of games you know you’ve got stay strong, get through the sort of sticky patches and wait for your moments to take advantage.

    “I don’t think either side dominated the game, it was pretty even, and it was decided by one moment.”

    That one moment – the Carl Starfelt own goal – may well have settled the tie in terms of the scoreline, but the Cameron Carter-Vickers miss, when the defender’s shot hit the crossbar from close range with Celtic already a goal to the good, also has a strong claim as the match’s sliding doors moment.

    To focus on either as an explanation for the eventual outcome though is a little reductive, and there will be plenty of other aspects of the Celtic performance that Postecoglou will be chewing over in the days that follow.

    It could be argued that it was the greater impact made by the Rangers substitutes that ultimately swung the game back in their favour after Greg Taylor had opened the scoring for Celtic.

    That goal came in Celtic’s best spell of the match, with Matt O’Riley making a positive impact as he managed to free himself from the dual shackles of Calvin Bassey and John Lundstram that had so limited the contribution of Tom Rogic.

    For all their much vaunted squad depth though, there was a seriously patchwork look to the Celtic defence in particular as extra-time got underway. Anthony Ralston – who had come on in place of the injured Josip Juranovic – ended up deployed at left-back, with young centre-half Stephen Welsh forced to come on as an auxiliary right-back following the departure of Taylor.

    With a clearly ring-rusty James Forrest pressed into action ahead of Welsh on the right flank and Kyogo too still searching for sharpness up top, Celtic’s attacking threat was seriously blunted, and they looked shaky defensively too as Rangers penned them in towards the end of extra-time.

    Ultimately, they buckled, and in that instant their hopes of a Treble were extinguished. That may have been a fanciful hope at the start of the season, and that it was a realistic proposition for so long is to Celtic’s credit, but Postecoglou doesn’t think the loss of that opportunity will be playing on the minds of his players.

    “I never thought about Trebles or Doubles, that’s language that’s used here,” he said. “I’ve never thought about that in my career and I won’t think about it now.

    “Every competition is an opportunity to be successful. For us at the moment we’ve won one trophy this year, that’s back at Celtic Park.

    “Obviously our main goal this year was to become champions, and that’s still in our hands. We’ve got five games to do that and that’s what we’ve got to focus on.”

    It can be easy for those not emotionally involved of course to look at bigger pictures, and the league title chase is of course what really matters to Celtic this season.

    But focusing on the long-term goal doesn’t mean ignoring the short-term pain, even if Postecoglou has vowed not to allow it to derail his team from their ultimate aim.

    “I think that is selling ourselves short and our supporters short,” he said. “Our supporters came [to Hampden] hoping to see us get to another final.

    “I don’t think you can take these opportunities for granted, you don’t just assume they’re going to come around every year. All of them are hard-earned, and when they come around you want to take them.

    “I don’t think we’ve lost perspective and I don’t think it’s a matter of tailoring your language to make sure the players feel good about it.

    “The reality of it is we were in a semi-final [on Sunday], a tight game as we knew it would be, and unfortunately we didn’t progress.

    “That doesn’t change anything about next week, whether we won [against Rangers] or not, the goal is still the same.”



    ANGE POSTECOGLOU has told his Celtic players not to take their powers of recovery for granted, as he warned them that it will take a huge effort to recover from their Hampden heartache in order to clinch the Premiership title.

    The Celtic manager has been full of praise for his men over the course of the season for the manner in which they have reacted to moments of adversity, but he knows that their Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Rangers will be their biggest test of character to date.

    He has faith that his players will bounce back yet again in the remaining five games of the league season, starting with the visit to face Ross County on Sunday, but has told them they will have to fight every inch of the way for the right to be crowned champions – as he feels they deserve to.

    “The road to success is not downhill, mate,” Postecoglou said. “It requires effort every single step of the way.

    “Sometimes you’ll stumble and we’ve stumbled a few times this year as a group, and we’ve managed to bounce back quickly.

    “That’s what we’ve got to do again, but just because it’s happened in the past doesn’t mean it’s going to happen in the future.

    “What you do know is that we’re capable of it, and we’ve used it the right way in the past, and we use this disappointment in the right way for next week.

    “This is just another [challenge]. We’ve had quite a lot of setbacks this year and we’ve got to use the disappointment of today to fuel what’s left in terms of the season.

    “We’ve got five games to become champions, so we have to go out there and perform well in every one of those games, win those games, and hopefully if that happens then the players will get the rewards I think they deserve for their performances this season.”
     
  7. Bhoyyo

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    If we win at County and then go on to beat Rangers at home to secure the title I guarantee the crowd will be celebrating 5 times harder than those hoardes did at Hampden on Sunday. I really, really want to see Ange with his hands on that league trophy.
     
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  8. martin_d

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    This is a good way of putting what I’ve always felt and still do feel.
     
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  9. celtic warrior

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    If we can get recruitment right again then Ange should be able to take this squad up another level.

    CB need more options, I'm tired of saying how LB needs improving. I would imagine just for argument sake think, if a guy like KT was at LB we'd have seen so much more of Jota in semi, that's the difference in quality.

    RW needs more strength of depth

    But what I think is most key now is finding a real engine that can play in position mcgregor is in, someone with some physicality to them and allow mcgregor further up the pitch so our midfield has more energy and running power to it.

    Rogic is a * magician but guys like him and Turnbull need more dynamism about their play because when someone like Rogic isn't on fire our midfield just seems flat and motionless.
     
  10. TIART Gold Member Gold Member

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    Just on your last point, Rogic. He has that little bit of extra quality that sadly we don’t have a replacement for yet.
    We do have some gifted 10’s, probably 3 in Turnbull, Cal and O’Reilly but they all lack his level of craft when he’s in full swing, maybe mash all three together and you get close but still missing that incredible knack of dribbling in a ruck of players and popping out the other side with the ball.

    I hope we can secure another player, not necessarily a 10, that brings a touch of genius to the first 11 as it’s quite noticeable when he’s not playing or having an off day like Sunday.
     
  11. Bhoyyo

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    I think in terms of passing, movement, first touch that Kyogo, Jota, O'Riley and Hatate are all on that wavelength, but I agree there is nothing quite like Rogic in full swing
     
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  12. Dip 'n' Swerve

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    i think we need some steel into the team - this is clear in the impact of GG - any good team has a solid spine. we play in Scotland up against physical teams, so at times we need to stand up and not be bullied, we need to win ugly and win breaking balls and 50/50s. I think we need a box to box powerhouse who can be nasty to a certain degree when we need to be.

    In terms of size and physique I think it is quite stark at the minute between teams - some muscle and core strength and strong runners would help within the squad.

    An early goal on Sunday will get the spring back, but if we cannot beat Ross County away then how can we even think about the CL. Play smart, play quick and be ruthless in front of goal and on Sunday we will be fine

    Left back, centre half, a player to block and screen and sell ajeti for another GG type of player and bring in some direct wingers. atm the jury is out on jota unless we get a good deal, id defo sign CCV
     
  13. Skelleto

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    Completely agree. A Wanyama type midfielder would take us to another level.
     
  14. Dip 'n' Swerve

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    including goals from corners :)
     
  15. Liam Scales Gold Member Gold Member

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    We’ve scored quite a lot from set pieces recently to be fair. Just not usually direct headers.
     
  16. PaulM1888 Moderator Moderator Gold Member

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    He’ll have his targets sitting ready already, the prospect of his style of football with a full pre season under our belts and all the tools available to him is mouth watering.

    Hopefully he’s backed as well as he has been in the last 2 windows because he’s going to need it for a proper crack at Europe.
     
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  17. Liam Scales Gold Member Gold Member

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    I can’t remember the last time we actually had the luxury of a proper full pre-season. The qualifiers come that thick and fast. I’m desperate to see the difference it can make, especially with somebody as driven and meticulous as Ange at the helm.

    …. Villareal better no win the CL. As much as I like them :56:
     
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  18. Henrik 07 Gold Member Gold Member

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  19. Liam Scales Gold Member Gold Member

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    Watching his Open Goal interview and he said something like nah always tell the players if you’re trying and doing well and make a mistake, that’ll be on me.


    I’ve not been able to pinpoint why I’ve thought he’s a guy you’d run through walls for, but that’s it. He’s a guy that if you are working and trying hard and you have the freedom to express yourself on the pitch. If it doesn’t work, fair enough, you tried it. That gives players an unbelievable amount of belief to do what they know they’re good at. That’s rare these days, a lot of managers and coaches coach that out if players.
     
  20. Henrik 07 Gold Member Gold Member

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