Ange Postecoglou has point to prove against Everton…

Ange Postecoglou has point to prove against Everton and Celtic squad decision shows it

Celtic could have a point to prove when they face Everton with manager Ange Postecoglou intent on putting on a show for fans in his homeland.

Postecoglou watched as his team fell to a 2-1 defeat in the club's Sydney Super Cup opener with Sydney FC earlier this week. While the match against the Blues - like that Sydney clash - is just a friendly, both games hold greater meaning for Postecoglou as he leads the Hoops Down Under.

The 57-year-old spent much of his playing and managerial career in Australia, the country he moved to as a schoolboy and went on to represent on the pitch and lead off it. The Sydney Super Cup has been viewed as a homecoming for him by some.

With the event an opportunity for Postecoglou to return to Australia, he will be keen to make amends for Celtic's midweek defeat when the club faces Everton in the early hours of Sunday morning, UK time (3:45am kick-off). Speaking to the ECHO, Daily Record sports writer Michael Gannon, who is following Celtic's exploits in Sydney, explained: "The Sydney Cup might be just a tour during the World Cup with a couple of friendly matches, but it’s been pretty big news in Scotland since it was announced. Mind you, when it was unveiled in the summer it was like chucking petrol on the fire in the Scottish game. This was originally billed as the first Old Firm game overseas, with Celtic pencilled in to face old foes Rangers in Sydney.

"The idea lasted about a week. There was a furious reaction from Rangers fans who saw themselves as being the support act to Aussie manager Ange Postecoglou’s homecoming party. Under severe pressure from supporters, Rangers pulled out and this trip will now be destined to be the Old Firm game that never was. Yet it’s still seen as a big deal. Not by fans – or maybe even players – but definitely the manager.

"Postecoglou is on home soil and there’s a feeling he’s desperate to put on a show in his own backyard. You can see it with the squad he’s brought. Postecoglou refused to allow his Scotland players to hook up with the national team for the friendly game against Turkey, as he sees this trip as more important."

Everton's Nathan Patterson is in Australia after having also withdrawn from the Scotland squad but Frank Lampard has a depleted group to pick from for the game. Conor Coady, Jordan Pickford, Idrissa Gueye and Amadou Onana are all on World Cup duty while the likes of Seamus Coleman and Alex Iwobi are also with their national squads. It means those he does pick will have to be prepared to face a Celtic side intent on producing a performance.

Gannon added: "This is a major PR exercise for Celtic. They already have a huge expat support in Oz and are trying to tap into the Ange factor as well for commercial reasons. There’s some money to be made this week and with cash tight in Scottish football, hoovering up £5m is well worth the hassle.

"But it also means they won’t be going through the motions on the pitch. There will be the usual changes here and there but don’t bet on anything other than Postecoglou sending out his star turns and going full throttle – friendlies or not."

Gannon added: "There is always an edge in these Scotland v England for our sides, who sometimes feel like they get dismissed by our chums down south. Everton might need to take it seriously – because Celtic certainly will."

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