POSTE ANGE? WE WILL COPE
Mcgregor: Boss has left foundation for success
HISTORY-MAKER Callum Mcgregor is adamant Celtic will go from strength to strength even if boss Ange Postecoglou leaves.
Tottenham are expected to make an official approach today for the Aussie after his Hoops clinched a historic Treble at Hampden on Saturday.
And Spurs chiefs want to hold talks with Postecoglou before he jets off on holiday tomorrow.
As the dust settled on
Celts’ eighth Treble – and a world record fifth won by their captain –
Mcgregor (right) insisted he didn’t know if his gaffer would still be around when preseason training restarts.
With Spurs poised to make their move, it is looking inevitable
Celtic will have to start planning for life without Postecoglou, whose victory over Inverness Caley Thistle in the Scottish Cup
Final (far right) took his domestic trophy haul to five out of six in two seasons.
Mcgregor – who now has 20 winners’ medals in his collection – would love his manager to stay but is convinced life will go on successfully without him if the lure of London proves too much.
The Scotland midfielder said: “Of course, selfishly for us, we want to keep him. The club wants to keep him as much as we possibly can.
“He has done such an amazing job. The turnaround since he walked in the door has been incredible, probably people didn’t envisage that happening so quickly. “If that is a parting gift then what a way to go.
“If not, and we are lucky to keep him, then we will be delighted to see him in pre-season.
“Whatever happens, the club’s in a really good place. We’re in the Champions League again so that’s attractive straight away.
“We will go and enjoy the summer and in football you always have to be flexible. You just take things as it comes.”
Postecoglou’s refusal to say he was going nowhere did nothing to stave off the feeling that come the start of next season he will be elsewhere – and Mcgregor was honest enough to admit that he would be a massive blow.
“He’s a guy who’s super self- confident,” the Hoops captain said. “He’s aware of what being at this football club means. It means bringing success and he’s managed to do it in such an amazing style.
“We understand he will be linked with big jobs, which he has been. But being selfish, we as players and the club want to keep him for as long as we can.
“In football there is always speculation and always people getting linked with other jobs when they are doing a good job.
“It shows that the players have done a good job for him and he has done a great job for the club.
“We’ll see what happens and deal with whatever comes.”
He added: “He has been unbelievable. It was a tough moment when he first came in, with players coming and going off the back of a difficult season.
“All those things were going on and he was a really strong leader right from the word go.
“The guys he brought in were so good in terms of coming into a new environment and learning quickly, while the guys who were still here made sure we all wanted to work, wanted to be here and give everything.
“He has brought so much success to the club in such a short space of time. He has turned things around and there is such a togetherness in the group.
“That has been a building block that has led to this. It has been a progression every week really and I think this group deserves the success it has had and to be Treble winners.”