GOAL FOR IT
Postecoglou says his stars will stick to their ideals and attack in tonight’s decider
ANGE POSTECOGLOU insists his swashbuckling Celtic stars won’t take a backward step in the AFAS Stadion tonight.
The Parkhead boss is adamant the Hoops will only invite trouble if they do not stick to their ideals and go for it against AZ Alkmaar.
Celtic hold a 2-0 lead at the halfway point of the Europa League play-off and a solid rearguard action could seal group stage qualification.
Postecoglou said: “You can’t go there and just try to defend for 90 minutes.
“They are a good side and being at home, they are going to take the game to us.
“If we were to go there and sit back for 90 minutes, you are sort of more hoping you get through.
“What we know is that if we play our football, we are always threatening going forward. And if we score goals, it puts pressure on them.
“We won’t change our approach. We’ll go there, try to play our game and impose our style. If we do that, it gives us a better opportunity to be successful.”
Postecoglou’s team flew out from Glasgow Airport yesterday with four clean sheets in their last five games to give added confidence alongside heavy goalscoring.
He added: “I don’t separate them. The fact we are scoring a lot of goals is because the back four and Joe Hart are continually looking to play out from the back, which gives us more opportunities.
“It doesn’t fall to one line for one or the other. Internally the players are well aware that is something that begins from playing from the back and our keeper being brave enough to start all of that.
“Defensively we have been sound but we have to still improve all areas, every unit.
“But I haven’t felt in any game we’ve been under siege and looking like conceding a lot of goals.
“With all our new players, they are settling in now and understanding, A, our football, and, B, getting used to their new team-mates.
“You have to build trust that way. For example, guys like Kyogo (Furuhashi) and Liel (Abada) being attacking players, it needs others to understand their movements and where they want the ball.”
Postecoglou is set for talks with Ismaila Soro over Ivory Coast duties and feels it’s unwise for stars to jet to potentially risky areas with Covid still a major issue.
Premier League clubs are refusing to release players for internationals in countries on the UK’s red list. Soro’s nation are to face red-listed Mozambique a week tomorrow.
Asked if he’d pull the player out, the boss said: “We’ll definitely have a look at it. At the moment I haven’t seen that Soro has been selected but we are all aware of the situation.
“It is about players, their health and wellbeing.
“But we’ll deal with that on a case-by-case basis.”
St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin was unable to attend the game at Parkhead last weekend, while Rangers have confirmed positive cases.
Postecoglou has offered reminders to his squad – but not with glaring regularity – as he added: “Having lived through the experience in Japan, I think doing that can become stressful for the players if you are constantly on at them.
“It’s not anyone’s fault if they get it. Sometimes it
happens.”