I’VE GOT YOUR BACKS, BHOYS
Ange happy Carter-Vickers and Starfelt are coming into their own
ANGE Postecoglou knows he makes life tough for his centre-backs. He would argue the attack-centric system at Celtic places far more strain on them than most of their counterparts might endure at other clubs.
Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers were recruited without the luxury of a pre-season to adapt to this new world. Both were plunged straight into action and, in the case of Starfelt in particular, the baptism was painful.
The Swede has endured some difficult matches and several high-profile errors. At times it has been tough to make a case for the Parkhead defence collectively, but the past six days have created a different impression.
Last Saturday, Starfelt and Carter-Vickers helped Postecoglou’s side earn a first away clean sheet of the Premiership season. That was swiftly followed by a first clean sheet in the Europa League. After conceding eight goals in their opening two Group G games, Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Ferencvaros felt like some kind of landmark.
Signed in a deadline-day loan deal from Tottenham, CarterVickers was Celtic’s 12th and final addition of the summer. The American international, Starfelt and goalkeeper Joe Hart have only worked together for seven weeks.
That’s something Postecoglou believes should be kept in mind as he outlined admiration for how his new defensive mainstays had embraced the challenge.
The Australian knows they have faced criticism but never felt tempted to leap to any judgments of his own. Week by week, he sees positive signs of adaptation. And he firmly believes more progress will follow.
‘I felt for Carl because we threw him in,’ said Postecoglou. ‘I think he had three or four different centre-back partners in the early stages and he was new to the club himself.
‘People were kind of judging him on what they saw, but I knew there was more in him and I still think there is more again.
‘With Cam, we signed him on deadline day and then virtually just threw him into the first team.
‘But the good thing about Cam is that he is a really calm character. He is mature beyond his years.
‘Even though he is fairly young, he has settled into the club really well and the key thing for the two of them is that they want to learn, they want to improve.
‘Every week, they are sitting down with the coaches and doing the analysis and I think they are getting confidence from that.
‘The way we play is not easy for any centre-backs. We ask a lot of them. We ask them to be playing out from the back, then we ask them to squeeze up as we want to be aggressive with our defending.
‘It’s a lot easier to be playing centre-back in other teams, I can guarantee you. But they have tackled it and we know there is more to come from both of them.’
Postecoglou is keen to remove as much psychological pressure as he can. He’s the one who demands they operate in a certain, high-risk way. Therefore, he’s the one who should take responsibility when it goes wrong.
‘We have shown faith in them and I have said to them all along that if something happens out on the pitch and it doesn’t work out, then I’m accountable for it — not them,’ continued the 56-year-old.
‘I’m not going to judge them on what happens in the first part of their Celtic careers.
‘What is important for me is that they are continually looking and learning and understanding how we want to play our football. If I see that, I keep encouraging them and that has been happening.’
Starfelt and Carter-Vickers have started the last six games together. Postecoglou admits that has aided their performances, yet is careful not to discount his other options when asked if it was a long-term partnership.
‘They are two good players, but we also have Stevie Welsh who was very good when he played earlier in the season and is ready to come into the team at any time,’ said the Celtic boss. ‘We rate him highly.
‘We have got young Dane Murray who did well, we have Chris Jullien who is coming back.
‘So it’s not about locking down a couple of people. What we want to do is create a strong squad and be competitive all over the park.
‘But there is no doubt that with centre-back partnerships, the more settled you are, the more understanding they have, it helps. It’s good that those two have got a run of games together.’
It also helps Starfelt and Carter-Vickers to have Callum McGregor in front of them. The captain’s missed penalty Ferencvaros was a rare lapse in his excellent performances.
Celtic dropped five points against Livingston and Dundee United in two games McGregor sat out through injury last month, with Postecoglou admitting there was ‘no doubt’ his side missed their ‘outstanding leader’.
The Australian is effusive about how McGregor had filled the vacancy left by Scott Brown’s summer exit.
‘Leaders come in different forms,’ said Postecoglou, considering the perceptions of what makes a captain. ‘Cal is maybe not the typical to some.
‘But the biggest thing you look for in leaders is: Do people want to follow him? Do his actions match his words? Does his behaviour match his demands for standards?
‘And he does all of that. He lives and breathes football and he lives and breathes his football club.
‘He took the penalty on Tuesday against Ferencvaros. That’s his job and he missed it. But straight away he was back up looking for the ball again. That is leadership for me.
‘It’s not about being the best player, it’s not waving your arms around. Not as if that’s not important, but his words are very strong to the team before a game and at half-time.
‘He is dead-set on making this club successful again. He’ll get better at it and grow into it, but I could see early on he’s going to be a good leader for us.’
Asked how good a player he regarded McGregor to be, Postecoglou added: ‘He’s up there. The ones I’ve worked with, anyway.
‘What you look for is players who are in the tightest of areas and he plays in those areas.
‘The good players in there always want the ball, they are always looking, they are always trying to dictate the game. Nine times out of ten he makes the best decision in terms of the pass. He’s a fantastic player.’