Howe fortunes of Celts changed for the better...
MAY 25 is etched in every Celtic fan’s mind as the anniversary of their club’s greatest triumph back in 1967 – but May 28 should be held in pretty high esteem as well.
That was the date, last year, when Eddie Howe declared he wouldn’t be joining Celtic.
Chaos ensued and from it, Ange Postecoglou emerged. This slidingdoors moment changed not only Celtic and their direction of travel but Scottish football.
Had Howe – now at Newcastle – decided to move north, Celtic may well have flourished. We’ll never know.
What we do know is that the Hoops have blossomed under the man who was behind Howe in the Parkhead pecking order.
What we also know is that, despite Howe’s denials, he didn’t have the stomach to take on the challenge without his entourage of trusted coaches at his shoulder.
The ex-Bournemouth boss, speaking when appointed on Tyneside, said: “I didn’t change my mind at the last minute.
“I couldn’t get my backroom team together to go to Celtic for a host of different reasons. And I didn’t want to take the job, knowing the job that was needing to be done, on my own.”
Well, Postecoglou came in to pick up the pieces and the only people he brought were his wife and kids.
No coaches, no sports scientists, no fitness gurus. He walked into Lennoxtown armed only with an unshakeable belief in his own ability. And he’s blitzed the place.
He walked into a club that had finished 25 points behind Rangers and was set to lose stars Odsonne Edouard, Kris Ajer and Ryan Christie.
Skipper Scott Brown was off to Aberdeen and they had a goalkeeper who couldn’t keep koala bears out of a close.
The challenges that Howe couldn’t face without his mates were met head on by the Greek-Australian.
A dozen new summer signings and a highoctane style of play, from which he’ll never deviate, even if it has his players’ hamstrings popping like strings on an overworked tennis racquet.
It’s all part of the highrisk Postecoglou package and it’s been fascinating to watch.
One of those recruits, Kyogo Furuhashi, has lit up the league with his finishing ability.
It is reasonable to assume the Japan ace wouldn’t be plying his trade in Scotland if Postecoglou wasn’t here.
Now three of Kyogo’s
Big Ange walked in with his unshakeable belief and he blitzed the place
countrymen have joined him and it’ll be interesting to see if Daizen Maeda, Yosuke Ideguchi and Reo Hatate can hit the same heights. It’s a big ask.
Postecoglou has eaten into Rangers’ dominance much more quickly than anyone would have expected but the league table doesn’t lie.
The Ibrox club’s terrific form since Giovanni van Bronckhorst arrived would suggest that they remain the top team in the country.
But Celtic are already one trophy better off than last season and still in the title race. Even if they don’t win anything else this term, they’ve a man with a plan in charge.
They are much better off with Postecoglou.
And Howe.