Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Hunger and drive is key at Paradise
Bayer Leverkusen v Celtic Today, 5.45pm
BY CRAIG SWAN
ANGE POSTECOGLOU is adamant Celtic can’t survive without hunger and drive.
Rangers defender Connor Goldson (below) has been heavily criticised for suggesting his team may have lost some of their hunger.
Postecoglou says it’s imperative every single individual at Celtic on-and-off the park stays motivated to keep on top of performance at all levels of his club.
He said: “Well you’ve got no choice. Unfortunately or fortunately, whatever way you want to put it, when you join this football club, that’s what you are signing up for.
“You are not just signing up to play for a club that has great standing and has great support, you are signing up to be just that, to be hungry for success.
“Because if you are not, you won’t last here. Not if you are a player, or a manager, or a member of staff here.”
Postecoglou is desperate to claim silverware having taken over in the summer and his new-look are squad are thirsting to get back into the winners circle after the club ended last term without any trophies.
Immediately beforehand, Celtic put together an incredible run of 12-straight domestic trophy wins for an unprecedented Quadruple Treble as they managed to maintain the highest standards.
Postecoglou said: “That’s the expectation. You have got to walk around here whether you have been here for a couple of months or for 10 years and approach every game as if we haven’t had success for a long time because that’s the demands and that’s how you stay on top of your game always.”
Postecoglou admits admits it’s pointless being shy and safe against Bayer Leverkusen tonight as it will tell him nothing.
The Aussie says negativity only breeds inferiority and would rather learn the hard way trying to be positive.
He added: “You’ll learn absolutely nothing if you go out there and shy away from it.”