Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
ANGE’S CUP IS HALF FULL
Postecoglou: Everything is on line in finals, I have won two as manager and four as player and Celtic players must embrace challenge..
BY
IT takes a lot of prodding to make laidback Aussie Ange Postecoglou bare his teeth at a Celtic press conference.
But the Celtic boss was riled by what he claims were “disingenuous” questions about his appreciation of the size of the challenge he faced.
The manager insists he’s well versed about the gravity of the job he’s inherited in Glasgow.
And this afternoon he’s aiming to put down a major building block to prove his case.
A League Cup final against Hibs is a chance for him to claim a first piece of silverware that would go a long way to signal his rebuild after a trophyless season under Neil Lennon last time.
But rather than play down the occasion, Postecoglou’s plan is to play it up. He will ask his players to embrace
what could be a momentous occasion in his reign as he prepares for a tale of the unexpected at Hampden.
Postecoglou said: “It’s a big occasion. There’s no point trying to downplay it. I’ve never felt that’s worked for me with my players and staff, that it’s just another game.
“They will quickly work out when they walk out at Hampden that it’s not just another game.
“It’s a big game and I don’t want them to fear that, I want them to embrace that.
“Everything’s on the line and we’ve got to be at our best. Don’t shy away from that, embrace that.”
Any naivety that may come from being a foreigner arriving on Scottish shores has been long since shot down as the Aussie has shown a firm grasp of the demands of his job.
He’s at pains to point out that he’s no apprentice trying to land major honours – his CV is already packed with final appearances.
He said: “In Australia, championships get decided in finals. I won two as a player and four as a manager and they all got decided in a grand final.
“Because of that I have always tried to build teams in a game style that will stack up in big games.
“So when the big game comes along the way we prepare and our football stacks up. Coming into this game hasn’t been any different – the way we train every day, the way we talk, the way we plan is so we are ready for the big occasion.”
Martin Boyle’s hat-trick for Hibs in their semi-final win over Rangers didn’t go unnoticed by Postecoglou. He admits getting Celtic playing on the front foot is one ploy to keep the Australian international at bay.
Postecoglou said: “Boyle was outstanding – the whole side were, particularly the first-half.
“They took the game to Rangers and probably surprised them a little bit with their intent and the tempo they played at.
“I know Martin well as he plays for Australia but we have always tried to deal with these threats in a collective sense.
“If we play our football and are dominant, the way we have been, then we’ll limit the opportunities for anyone to cause us problems.
“It will still come down to us controlling the game so that it’s played on our terms.”