By Oliver Walker-Peel (@olliewalkerpeel)
The Old Firm dominance over Scottish football has perhaps never been more pronounced.
Not since the great Sir Alex Ferguson took Aberdeen to the height of domestic glory in the country in 1984-85 have the league winners come from outside Glasgow, so it comes as no surprise Ange Postecoglou and his Celtic charges are contending again.
Despite breaking Rangers’ one-season stint as Scottish championships with the ultimate league salute last campaign though, quantitative success is not at the forefront of Ange Postecoglou’s mind.
“I’ve never gone about sort of thinking about what I want to achieve or what targets we have,” Postecoglou revealed exclusively on Kick360’s Pitch to Park podcast.
“What I do want to do is create a football club that plays football a certain way and everyone talks about.
“I think I have done that wherever I’ve been, whether that was at South [Melbourne] or Brisbane, was there at [Melbourne] Victory for a short time, Japan.
“If I can create teams that make a little bit of a difference and people talk about a little bit different from everyone else, success usually follows.”
It is a philosophy the former South Melbourne defender has lived by throughout his managerial career, and his CV is proof success has followed him almost everywhere he has managed.
After adding to the trophy cabinets of South Melbourne, Brisbane Roar, Australia, and Yokohama F. Marinos, Celtic took a chance on the Greek-born manager, and it is a chance that has so far paid dividends.
After winning the league in 2021-22 and silencing many critics within the Scottish media in the process, the green side of Glasgow qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stages for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
The Hoops’ first foray into the main stage of Europe’s top table has not been so fruitful, with three points in their first six games ending their European adventure earlier than they would have hoped.
This run cannot get through Postecoglou’s steely defences however, with the Greek-born manager more determined to write the wrongs of this season with another chance next time around.
“We’ll have a crack again (Champions League), hopefully we qualify again next year and go at it again, and if I can get the rest of Europe talking about this football club and the way it plays then that is what I want to achieve.”
Celtic are a famous club with managers who have etched their name into Bhoys folklore; with a mindset like his, Ange Postecoglou may well be the next to add his name to an illustrious list immortalised in Celtic legend.
Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images for Bursty
