ANGE WON’T BE CHANGED
Rangers and languishing in sixth place.
It’s the club’s worst start to a league campaign in 23 years but Postecoglou – who last night confirmed Callum McGregor’s return from a hamstring injury has been delayed a week at least – was bullish when asked about the scrutiny of his start to life as Celts boss.
Postecoglou, who is set to hand Georgios Giakoumakis a debut off the bench in tonight’s Premier Sports quarter final against Raith, said: “I don’t expect people not to scrutinise what I’m doing.
“If things are not going well I’ve been around long enough to know that people, for one reason or another, are going to analyse it and come up with their assessment.
“Some won’t be favourable, others may have more of an understanding. But I’ll never let that guide what I do or who I am as a person because the reality of it is whoever is making the assessments on our current state is making it on limited information.
“It’s impossible for people outside this club to know exactly the information that I have and what we are trying to create and achieve here.
“But you have to accept scrutiny and criticism. It’s part of the game.
“It doesn’t affect me. Anyone who gets into this job and doesn’t want scrutiny or criticism will quickly realise that sort of utopia does not exist.
“The most successful managers still get scrutiny so I don’t think there should be anyone in the food chain who feels they should escape it.
“But it doesn’t mean that’s going to dictate my mood, my demeanour or make me angry or make me change my approach.”
Postecoglou has been hampered by a succession of injuries to key players including Kyogo Furuhashi, James Forrest, Greg Taylor and skipper McGregor, who won’t make Sunday’s league clash with Dundee United and remains a doubt for next Thursday’s Europa League meeting with Bayer Leverkusen.
Forrest and long-term absentee Christopher Jullien aren’t expected back until after next month’s international break.
McGregor’s absence is a particular blow and the manager said: “It’s hard to put a timescale on it but it’s nothing major.
“With him you would know even if he was close then he’d be available.
“If I had to make a call then, all going well and if the rehab goes well, he should be available to face Bayer Leverkusen.
“It’s one of those things every footballer goes through. It’s just our luck that for Callum it’s come at this time as he’s started so well for us.
“It’s disappointing for him but he has played so much football it’s probably inevitable at some point that he would need a break and hopefully this might even be a positive for him in that he gets refreshed for when he comes back.”
Giakoumakis is set to make a first appearance at some point tonight to ease the load on Albian Ajeti with Furuhashi sidelined.
Postecoglou said: “He had a disrupted pre-season and didn’t get any friendly games so he’s obviously nowhere near match-fit. It makes sense to start him off the bench.
“We still have four games before the international break and if we can get some meaningful game time into him then use that break to top him up, he should be ready to go after.”