From the outside looking in, it appears to be an impossible job.
No time and no team, and that isn’t his fault.
The Celtic board’s handling of finding a successor to Neil Lennon has been amateur hour on steroids.
This display outside Parkhead yesterday stated the arithmetic truth and in itself is a shameful fact.
Almost all of the obstacles in front of the Australian are not of his making and cannot be laid at his door.
The man who once managed the Socceroos has stumbled into a disaster movie with terrible production values.
Consequently, it is vital that Ange gets off to a good start.
For the avoidance of doubt, I have no idea what that looks like.
However, the whole of Planet Fitba will know what a bad one is when they see it.
Today I sent this message from a very well-placed source inside Celtic:
- Dom McKay has won his 1st battle; PL has left the building.
- Ange has told DM that he doesn’t want players who won’t be there long term. He wants them cleared out and the wages freed up for him. DM has agreed to this.
- AP wants to see the whole Celtic football operation from Academy to 1st team and wants total control of same.
My own take is that point (1) is hugely positive news. Points (2) & (3) are the mark of a manager who means business and wants to…well…manage.
Of course, with a single source, there is always a health warning on any story.
However, I’ve known this person for over a decade and have full belief in his integrity.
If my source is correct on point (1), then fortune is already smiling on the man from Oz.
For the avoidance of doubt, Postecoglou’s margin for error in his new post is almost non-existent.
I hope that he is aware of that.
Here we go…
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I renewed the day before he was officially appointed, I was holding out to see whether we could pull something off that impressed me from the board then after weeks of humming I remembered I’m not raging at the team, I was raging at NL, JK and GS as well as the board, I remembered the gift of love my Dad gave me. My Dad found it hard when I was younger to tell me he loved me, but he shared with me week in week out his love of Celtic.
When I think of the love I have for Celtic I remember that’s my Dad’s gift to me.
So I renewed my season book with love in my heart.
Watching his interview, AP, I heard a man humble enough to fill the shoes of some genuine legends who’ve sat behind that great oak door.
I don’t think he’s here for fun, he knows the enormity of the task and has mine and many of my friends support.
Hail hail
Got to back the guy surely Bhoys & Ghirls 🍀 got to give him a chance
Anyone who joins the Celtic family will always get a chance and our full support!
Hail! Hail!
It’s hard not to think that the board has set this season up for a fail but ‘crikey’ this story has all the makings of a Hollywood movie if he does succeed and I really hope he can beat the odds and prove everyone wrong, for Celtic, for himself and for all the 50 years plus men who’ve been written off by life… go on Ánge, the stage is set… carpe diem!
I wish him well. That 105 days is even more incredible when you consider talk of Neil leaving went on for weeks before he actually left. The Board have really let us down last 12 months. Rangers* would not have stopped ten had regime change and Gerrard not happened. So let’s stop saying it was a bad thing from Rangers* fans point of view. Regime change and Gerrard were a bad thing for Celtic for sure. The Rangers* share price will recover long term for three reasons. 1 A league winning team makes players more sellable. There are now several Rangers* players in the 10-20m bracket. 2 Access to Champions League riches much easier via champions path. 3 Investors see 1 and 2 and it looks a better investment. Phil you reported on a new investment recently as evidence of that.
Finally the Rangers* Board continue to take risks and dig deep and it’s paying off.
Play the long game and be patient,let’s not fall into the old firm trap ourselves,if Ange needs a season then fair enough but let’s see the seeds of long term success planted and nurtured.
What is the Boardroom issue. When you hear this you think of a loss making company. Not a well run business
The worry is that we revert to short termist thinking. The rebuild required is huge. Some would say bigger than one window. Are we going to give this man time to set us up for a prolonged period of superiority and European challenge, or are we going to get shot of him at Christmas if we’re not top of the league?
Lennon should’ve left October 2020 at the latest but he was afforded time, with the season effectively written off, will the board give Ange the same privilege if needs be?
Living in Australia, I have watched how he goes about his business. He has an excellent win ratio and been a winner at every club he has been at. He spoke no Japanese when he was at Yokohama but got them over the line for a first title in 15 years with a team that 95% did not believe in him when he took over. He had to use an interpreter the entire time. He was and is a strict disciplinarian with supreme confidence in what he is doing and you’ll be out the door if you don’t toe the line. He is a heck of an astute performer and will relish the challenge at Celtic. I’m only surprised that it took so long for him to get a big gig.
In my humble opinion, McKay has made a rookie mistake.
He could/should have got Lawwell to do something useful before being escorted off the premises.
Lawwell should have quietly welcomed the new manager.
If it goes Pete Tong – he was Lawwell’s appointment.
If it goes great, then he was McKay’s choice.
…a bit like a new manager choosing to sit in the stand for the first game?
Ange does speak well and seems like a decent bloke.
But if you just blank out all the noise around this appointment, the cold facts are;
within just over 2 years, CFC has gone from Brendan Rodgers to Ange Postecoglou.
Is this the Celtic Board’s idea of progress…?
I do hope your information is correct Phil and that Mr. Postecoglu is allowed to manage and run the football operation as he sees fit. My concern is it looks likely that he will be saddled with messrs Kennedy and Strachan, who should be shown the door along with those players who see their futures elsewhere. Positive news that Mr lawwell has left the building, perhaps a few other stale nonentities on the board will follow suit. I wish Mr Postecoglu the best of luck and hope he delivers, I’m sure our pathetic hacks will be sharpening their crayons in anticipation of his failing miserably. I’d love to see him silence those cowards.
With friends like you, who needs enemies ?
(3) looks like a DoF, Sporting/Technical Director role, has that now gone and we’re once again going for all the eggs in one basket?
I heard someone comment that he only knows the Australian and Japanese markets. A fully fit Rogic? A Nakamura? The TWO most recent Celts from those countries. If can bring in players of that calibre I won’t complain.
I think this will either prove to be an inspired choice, or a monumental blunder. I don’t think it will fall anywhere in between.
There are risks with Ange as there are with any new manager but, as an exiled Tim, I’ve had the pleasure of watching him for years, including a period in charge of my “other” team. Obviously he’ll need to hit the ground running or the knives will be out but I am utterly convinced he is the man for the job. Anyone giving less than 100% will be jettisoned and his style of football is a treat to watch if slightly hair raising at times. One thing is for sure, the days of Shane Duffy pumping long diagonal balls are gine while Ange is around.
aww thank god this has happened now. i think all of us fans have been disappointed at the way the board has handled the last year, and especially the last 4 months.
for me the best news, and hopefully your source is 100% right, that peter has left the building, and has no more influence in the club.
i dont always agree with your opinion Phil, but i always like to read your work, and admire the effort you put into this site.
hopefully onwards and upwards from now on. Lets try again for the 10 starting this coming season
This will not be boring that’s for sure. Actually it will be quite fascinating to see what he does. I never gave Jansen any chance of overtaking Rangers. Especially after the first two games which we lost. I do remember a certain Swede passing the ball to Chic Charnley in the second game…………he will never cut it here I said to the guy next to me. Football in Scotland can turn on a dime..that was as true in the 70s as it is now.
Phil, is the AP appointment a sign that Celtic will become a part of the City Group with PL getting a golden handshake for his efforts?
What can a persistent NUJ member dig up from this as it is a theory from talk down under?
I agree, it’s always been said that the link with Man City is close I didn’t realise just how close,I believe we will eventually end up at The City Group,IF we’re not already there,We have to back AP ,wonder who his first media fight will be with…
I’m quietly optimistic, that with his superior global experience, that Ange can challenge and conquer his biggest adversary in Scottish football. Calum Davidson, while an impressive double trophy winner might struggle somewhat against the new Celtic boss.
Good luck Ange baby.
Y’know that NEVER occurred to me. In his rookie season Calum Davidson became the most successful manager currently managing in the Scottish top flight.
Welcome to Ange… he has a job of work ahead of him, and a very big mess in our boardroom to shovel out.
Perhaps he should also demand that further player sales should be delayed until after the Euros, in which Celtic stars are prominent, to ensure full value is secured, with ringfencing of monies earned to strengthen his squad.
HH
It’s going to be a momentous task to rebuild given the numbers that have already left and those about to leave. This could have/should have been completed months ago to give Ange a fighting chance.
Would they not have been Howes list of signings?
Canny see how that would work with a different Manager with a different approach.