Ange Postecoglou

ANGE POSTECOGLOU says that Celtic cannot afford to stand still as he admitted the possibility that new players may be joining his squad as early as this week.

Celtic have been linked with moves for numerous targets recently despite adding seven players to their title-winning squad this summer, with winger Sead Haksabanovic understood to be their latest potential recruit in a cut-price deal from Rubin Kazan.

The Celtic manager suggested that move may be close after watching his team see off Hearts by two goals to nil at Celtic Park, and that he may not be the last body to be added to his changing room over the coming days.




Yeah, there is a possibility [of players coming in this week],” Postecoglou said.

“We can’t stand still. We’re still building.

“Every now and then I’ll glance at the diary and if you go back 12 months from today, you’re going to have a very different picture of what our football club looked like.

“We’ve made a * of a lot of progress, but we’re still at the beginning.


“I’m still building a team, building a game style, building an environment. There’s still work to be done.

“Just because you have had success or it looks like things are going well, that’s not the time to stand still.

“I still know there’s a lot of work to be done. My ambitions for this football club are very strong in terms of making sure we are the best we can be.

“So, we’ll continue to strengthen with the guys we’ve got, but if opportunities come along to bring people in who I think will help us on that journey, then I’ll bring them in.”








Ange Postecoglou continued to play down any early title talk after Celtic were made to work to beat a second string Hearts side at Parkhead.

Celtic weren't at their best but goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and Giorgos Giakoumakis ensured it was enough to keep their winning Scottish Premiership start alive after four games. Hearts caused the Hoops some threat in the second half while the scoreline was still 1-0 but ended the match with nine men after Alex Cochrane and Toby Sibbick were dismissed by referee Kevin Clancy late on.


And Postecoglou insisted sometimes it's just about getting the three points and going again rather than worrying about any outside noise. He told BBC Sportsound: "I think for me it's much more about the performances and I think in all the games we have been in control for the most part. There's still areas we need to improve and we will keep working towards that.



My belief is that we have got another game next week that's worth three points and that's all that really we focus on because it is August."




Postecoglou was also asked if he was happy with the state of play of his squad ahead of the transfer window slamming shut, he added: "We are working on things. There's still time in the window in terms of incoming and outgoing.

"There will be probably a couple but like I said we are waiting for the right one to come in and in terms of outgoings we will just see what sort of opportunities there are."




Celtic have been strongly linked with a move for Rubin Kazan star Sead Haksabanovic in recent days. While James McCarthy is just one of several fringe stars who could be offloaded.

 

Can't wait for Thursday to arrive.

Exciting times ahead folks in the CL this season. Ange to match wits with the best in Europe.

Where British teams, I believe, have an advantage over others, is in their heading ability in the box to score goals.

 

Plus the Brits are no good in the heat so let's hope for more 40 degree nights and Liverpool or man c in the draw!

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Would've been Skelp City if we'd made the CL last year. The way the team has been built up and the style developed over the last year, it will still be unlikely that we get out of the group - but I don't fear embarrassment.

Exciting times ahead.

 

I dont mind getting a very tough group as long as we get one of the "weak" sides in it. There are some teams that we could beat home and away to finish third. Would be fantastic to be in europe after xmas.

 

This is a great point you make.

Last season Ange and his team were allowed to play European football for the first time, and first time together. I viewed it as almost a practice run for the CL this season.

 

I don't expect us to get anywhere in the CL mainly because I'm so beaten down by it and just take it that we will get a horrendous group draw.

I would say with that mind though if we can avoid the sort of humping we were getting under Rodgers I'd be fine with that.

 

My comments included Celtic in referring to British teams.

One more thing, Celtic is a great team to watch, but it also has something that makes it loved in Scotland. Fans love to come and see the team live and on tv also. What it has at present with Ange is also players that are not 'atypical' of the 'football factory' approach that you see in many teams in many countries. They are also allowed to express themselves in their play within the football Ange wants to be played on the pitch.

Each one of the regular players is a distinct player in their own right and no two players are the same. The team has players that have their own playing personalities, so that fans love watching the team play but come to watch specific favourite players as well. It is team of stars, specific to their roles in the team.

This a great thing for the younger fans coming through, to have their own Celtic heroes to emulate and talk about at school or elsewhere.

 

Quite right you are George,

I guess it is just a theory I have that the English don't perform well at the higher latitudes. Something in their physiology I believe ever since the battle of Bannockburn we have had their measure I feel.

Excellent point and very well made about our players all being different.

Another thing I have on good report is that their diets are different too. Did you know Ange reportedly has a stake sandwich and chips every day for lunch? Every Friday he supplements this with half a packet of Tim Tams. I also believe he has salad and chips not vegetables to accompany the steak.



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That's bollocks...

He switched to Hobnobs about a year ago.

 

Ange will be buzzing with that draw.

 

He won't change his tactics against Leipzig or Shakhtar and rightly so. Both are no defensive powerhouses. Leipzig can be bullied as the huns have shown.

 

They were bullied by a completely different style from our own though. I think they would rather play us than the huns.

I hope we can be successful but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't apprehensive about our approach in Europe.

 

Went off those lads a wee bit but always good crack with ange and them should be a good watch

 

Yer never happy eh.

 

Think Ange has been starting Kyogo and Maeda to help them develop an understanding before the world cup.

If they both do well in the CL and th WC their values will skyrocket.

Barring any bad luck I think we'll see them starting most games upto the WC, then we'll see Abada and GG starting more so the Japanese lads get a bit of a chance to recover, and hopefully we'll see fewer injury troubles this year.

With Haska being able to play a lot of positions, that should help us manage things when there are injuries or suspensions.

 

Postecoglou v Ancelotti
Hart v Courtois
Kyogo/Giakoumakis v Benzema
Jota v Vinicius Jnr

WOW X WOW !!!