Ange Postecoglou

Of course, and any proven UCL goalscorer is going to be out of our budget for that reason. Which is why good scouting combined with a system capable of creating multiple chances home or away is beneficial, provided the system can be tweaked in such a way that tightens us up a bit defensively whilst not diminishing that attacking threat.

I don't think it's impossible to improve upon GG when you consider that GG was identified and bought for just a couple million pounds in the first place, however it's fair to say that we'd have to get incredibly lucky to stumble across a talent like Mudryk who possesses the kind of clinical finishing we saw in both Shakhtar games. So the idea has to be to improve the squad gradually each season, have the players gain experience by competing at this level every year, and hope they actually take some of our myriad of created chances. Keep chipping away at it as Ange has said.

And contrary to your claim, it is about resale value. If we can buy players like GG for 2 million, O'Riley for 1.5 million and Jota for 6.5 million and then sell them on for 10 million, 15 million, 20 million each, then the initial outlay we can spend on players increases which, in theory, should help facilitate the signing of higher quality players for the next Champion's League cycle. There are other potential benefits too, like being seen as a destination for players to develop and eventually move on to bigger clubs or leagues for big fees, ultimately helping us attract better talent.

 

Ange Postecoglou insists the Celtic board will back his big plans to bring Champions League class players into Parkhead.

The Hoops gaffer is looking to ramp up the club’s transfer strategy in a bid to become serious competitors in the Champions League on a regular basis. Postecoglou, who was named Glens Premiership Manager of the Month, admitted after the defeat to Real Madrid he is prepared to sell some of his current stars to fund his aggressive expansion plans.

And Parkhead powerbrokers are on board with his vision. Postecoglou said: “I’m not disheartened by anything I’ve seen so far, or seen that we can’t go this way. I think we can do it this way and make up ground. I’m haven’t had any frustration or sense there wasn’t any alignment. I’ve had full support along the way. I’ll keep doing it until someone taps me on the shoulder and says, ‘that’s enough’.

"I’m obsessed with success. I’ve had success at every club I’ve been at because I haven’t limited what that looks like.

“I see no reason why this club can’t compete in the Champions League regularly. There’s obviously a massive gap to the big clubs but there’s nothing to suggest we can’t be a strong club at that level. There’s nothing written anywhere that says, ‘this is your limit’.”

Celtic’s plan over the years has been to buy cheap, polish up and then punt at a profit. Postecoglou won’t rip up the strategy but his target is to bring in a higher level of player – and sell on for even more.

That means landing players who are ready-made for the Champions League. Postecoglou said: “Potentially, if we get to those levels financially, why not? I think the core is that we will always look at a certain demographic and what I mean by that is that we will always go for the younger scale because that is part of the model that we need to create.

“But there are younger players who have had Champions League experience. You look at that Shakhtar team and the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk - they are young but they have already had two or three years of Champions League experience. That is obviously beyond the financial levels we are at but there could be clubs where we could look at younger players who have Champions League experience.”

When asked if that meant rather than buying a £2m player and selling for £10m, he wants to buy for £5m and then £10m and flog for £20m or £20m. He said: “That is the way to go. I think that is how you get yourself up that ladder.

“That must still be underpinned with good decisions because whether you spend £1, £5m, £20m or £50m or £100m, if you are getting it wrong then you are getting it wrong. For me that is the most important bit.

"What I hope I have proven over the last 12 to 18 months is that for the most part all the players we have brought in, irrespective of the levels, have made an impact. There is a trust from the club that whatever the spend is going to be, provided we go through a similar process, that if we get it right then we should be getting really good players.”

Postecoglou hammered home the importance of players being sold to fund the dream – and warned fans not to get too attached to their heroes. The Aussie – who will have Cameron Carter-Vickers back to face Dundee United – said: “If you compare us to similar-sized clubs in Europe, they are very aggressive with their trading. You have to be take opportunities.

“If that means players moving on, you are a more comfortable with it if you have the solution before it happens. It becomes part of the process of bridging the financial gap that exists with other clubs.

"It can be a little bit unsettling at times, especially for supporters if their favourite players don’t stay here for six, seven, eight, nine years. If we’re going to continue to improve, we need to be able to think that way and make sure we take up opportunities when they come along.”

 

Such a relief that we finally have a manager the not only enforces the style of football that is Celtic, but he has a plan to make it work & embed it once again in our souls.

His interview today has given me the belief that we could raise that cup again.

I'm not gay but I do love the bloke.

Ange. It's been a long time coming.

 

In this day and age of football, I wonder what players might think of us now.

Cynically they might see us as an even better stepping stone than what we already were and see a guy like Ange who will sanction moves (wherever he has the power to do so) which may help attract more players.

 

I think they'd see us in greater standing if we actually got some results in Europe. This is yet another reason why I think a more realistic tactical approach is necessary.
A player seeking to use us as a stepping stone will have to be replaced within 1-2 years. I want players to see Celtic as a club with potential, not an "also-ran" in Europe.
Seeing Ajax fall apart after having one great CL season due to selling their big hitters is not warming me up to their business model.

 

Kevin Muscat wins J League with AP old team Yokohama.Look out if AP leaves

 

Muscat don't think he would be too welcome here

 

yep that was my point

 

I get the feeling we might have an Australian "Old Firm" next year.

 

I think that would be more likely

 

Define fall apart?

I take it you're referring to the Semi-final run they had in 2018/19? So, since they sold De Ligt, De Jong and Dohlberg for nearly £200m there has been 4 opportunities for them in the champions league.

Firstly, they have made every single group stage, winning their league is obviously guaranteed entry into the group stages. However, they have still been there.

They have never been knocked out of Europe before Christmas since then.

They have got to the champions league last 16 once, after winning every single game in their champions league group.

They have finished at least 3rd the other 3 times, including this year. With an average 7.8 points in them 3 seasons.

They have made the Quarter finals of the Europa League once, they have been knocked out after dropping down once. They have this years Europa League to go.

Let's not also forget this though. Since selling De Jong/De Ligt/Dohlberg, they have made a further £180m PROFIT in player sales, while always being in the group stages and competing and always having European football after Christmas.

Now, I know as fans, we shouldn't be interested in what profit another club is making etc. However, Ajax have another young team and these guys are only going to get better. That sort of profit goes into scouting, youth development etc. Which then helps when we are trying to go to that next level in Europe.

Give me that sort of Ajax model any day of the week.

 

Well, they lost the spine of the team, and now have to rebuild again. And with less experienced players, it's hard to dream of repeating the glory days when they took European trophies.

Our task is made harder by not having the kind of academy setup and resources they do, by competing in a league that isn't great, and by neighboring a league with far more money, even at lower levels.

If we want Ajax' business model, we should at least not immediately try to copy their style of football, as well. Too hard to do everything at once.

 

Couple of points to make on that.

Firstly, the reality is the likes of Ajax, PSV, Porto, Benfica, Bruges, Anderlecht, Celtic, Sevco, Salzburg... basically the big fish in small pond section of teams are never going to really win a Champions League any time soon. Could one of them nick a Europa League/Conference League? Absolutely, but actual Champions League? It's never going to happen.

Secondly, how do you improve the academy? Through investment and money spent. How do you get the most investment from our situation? You buy players to sell on at profits. You invest in the first team and invest in your scouting and youth department. That's where a large part of Ajax profits go.

Thirdly, Ajax have played the same brand of football for what? 50 years? They teach their youth how to play that style of football. It's the same at Barcelona. The way they play their football is the same from the u16s all the way up to the first team. It has been since Cruyff and was shown by the youth Barcelona constantly bring through in that midfield area. Guardiola, Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas all the way to Pedri/Gavi who you have now. It's also no coindence that even their centre backs are great with the ball at their feet, see Pique, Puyol and now players like Araujo.

Finally, while bringing through youth is something we should be striving for, homegrown players are certainly what you want to see at our club, it's not the only piece of the puzzle. You will need to supplement that with purchases. Again, like Barcelona and Ajax consistently do. They want youth to progress but there is also an element where we need to continue to be competitive. Youth should be given a chance when it's earned, not forced through.

 

Knew that was coming

No football played please!

 

Ajax have indeed had the opportunity to push one style of football for 50 years, as @Celtic_Daft1888 pointed out. But there's one problem: weather. Dutch weather is not the same as Scottish weather. Scottish clubs don't even want to try getting proper grass pitches. That means they will rely on long passes.

Any attempt by us to play fancy football in Europe is one of limited value, because we don't have anything to learn regarding that style domestically. We come as amateurs in a type of football the continent can employ better.

 

Thought he’d mention Bernabei getting booked for the penalty, with his back to the ball and no idea that he’d handled it…

 

Well Shakhtar for one can't employ that style of football better than us, and I doubt we can employ the style of football you'd like us to play better than Shakhtar can, given their advantages in size, athleticism and the fact they have a winger with freakish pace and clinical finishing built for counter attacking football. Based on the balance of play in those 2 matches, with both sides playing the style of football they've been built to play, we should have taken 4 points and could have taken 6. Playing in such a way that would have likely reduced the chances we created against them wasn't the answer; the answer was to take some of the myriad of chances we created.

All this about weather is irrelevant. We have improved leaps and bounds domestically playing the way we do (just look at Livingston away, in recent times as tough an away ground for us as anywhere in the league, yet last time we cruised to an easy win by strangling them with our football to the point that they barely registered an attempt on Hart's goal) and there's every chance that we can continue to improve in Europe, as the players are repeatedly exposed to playing our style of football at that level. The way we definitely won't improve is to play a certain way in every match domestically, and then drastically veer away from that in Europe.

 

Loved his comments after the game today. Nothing held back - telling it exactly as it is. "It seems like any time your arm touches the ball in the box it's a penalty now, unless you're playing Hearts away."

 

Their CB pairing consists of a 181 cm tall LB/CB and a 184 cm tall CB. Their DMF is officially stated by Wikipedia to be 181 cm tall, although I thought he was taller. We have oodles of fast wingers/forwards, not just one. Granted, Mudryk is a better finisher than all, bar maybe Jota.
If we fielded Ralston at RB and Abildgaard at DMF, we'd be set for defensive football, given what a shorter Shakhtar side did in the groups.

Improvements in domestic football translate poorly to European results. We'd all like to think that not being troubled by Livingston any more means we can break defensive teams. Shakhtar are on a different level to Livingston, and it showed.

We have two choices:

1. Persist with one style of football we can't pull off in Europe and just write CL off. Send backup players to play when possible. Treat the CL games as a reward for those who train hard. If Ange publicly did this, it'd mean he knows his style is idealistic, but at least has no illusions it'd work in Europe, and is doing things out of principle. Should've played backups against Real Madrid.

2. Do what you say we shouldn't, and grow a second face- a Hyde to the usual Jekyll. Minimize the impact of our players' weaknesses, and play to their strengths. This includes: drop passing out of the back if under pressure (Hart will be grateful, but also Jenz and Starfelt); play long passes into space, rather than triangles of possession (Kyogo, Abada, Jota and Maeda can outpace many defenders); and drop the high press for a mid block (less energy expenditure, and easier time defending, while opposition get drawn forward and gift us space).