Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side have started the season with the same swashbuckling swagger that swept them all the way to the title last term.
But the Aussie boss admits it doesn’t have to be free-flowing football all the time when it comes to sticking the ball in the back of the net. Celtic hardly struggle to score, as they lashed 92 goals to claim the Premiership crown and have opened up with another 10 in the first three games of their defence against Aberdeen, Ross County and Kilmarnock.
But it’s the type of goals – and the spread through the team – that have got supporters attention. There’s been long range stunners, sweeping counter attacks and tap ins. There’s also been goals from set pieces. In fact, four of the 10 goals have been scored by centre backs and from dead ball situations. That might sound like no big deal from a team that averages about 10 corners a week, but it wasn’t so long ago Hoops fans could safely nick out for a pie whenever there was a set piece and not worry about missing a goal.
Celtic seriously picked up in the second half of last term but they still finished in mid table when it came to goals scored from set plays. Rangers topped the pile, with Hearts also outperforming the Hoops.
Postecoglou is not going to abandon his attacking instincts and turn Celts in to the Wimbledon Crazy Gang just yet. But the Parkhead gaffer admitted he has been scheming behind the scenes on making his side more of a threat in opposition penalty boxes when they get the chance to whip the ball in. He’s had to get creative as well as his Hoops are hardly a land of the giants. Moritz Jenz has grabbed a couple – including the brilliant overhead kick at Killie at the weekend – while Stephen Welsh and Carl Starfelt have also been on the scoresheet.
Chuck in Giorgos Giakoumakis and that’s about it when it comes to six foot pluses in the side, but Postecoglou is thrilled his squad have found other ways to get cheap goals. He said: “It’s great for us that they’re contributing because we want to have multiple threats. We’re obviously not the biggest team in the world, but that doesn’t mean we can’t impose ourselves in the opposition box when the need arises.
“Welshy got a great goal in the first game, Moritz has got himself a couple and Carl got one on Sunday. It’s another bow in our armoury to hurt teams with and I think that’s important.
“I think that plays into the team we are. We get a lot of corners and set-pieces because of the pressure we put on opposition teams. That gives us the opportunity to get the ball into those dangerous areas so from our perspective it’s an important part of our game.”
It’s a warning that almost seems unfair on the rest of Celtic’s Premiership rivals. There was already plenty of menace in the Hoops attack without having to add another.
Jota has made a flying start to the season and is already making the £6.5m investment look like Parkhead chiefs have managed to swindle Benfica.
Fit-again Kyogo Furuhashi is causing defences palpitations even when he isn’t touching the ball and Giakoumakis has been beginning games on the bench before coming on like a man on a mission.
Chuck in the attacking abilities of players like Liel Abada and Matt O’Rielly and Celtic have enough artillery to give most managers sleepless nights.
Postecoglou reckons it’s a case of the more the merrier.
He said: “We want to be a team that’s got multiple threats going forward.
“Our centre halves are contributing at the moment which is great, but it’s not just the starting XI, guys coming off the bench.
“There’s no doubt about it, we want to be a team that scores goals and has multiple avenues to do that.
“There’s different ways you can score goals in a game of football and your position shouldn’t stop you from doing that.
“If you’re in that area you take your chances.
“They are getting those rewards in creating those moments because they are really committed to what we want to be and I see that every day with their training.
“What we see on game-day is the result of them working really hard at training and pushing each other.”
Postecoglou is relishing something he didn’t have much of last season – time.
The Hoops gaffer’s debut campaign didn’t leave much opportunity to catch breath, with games coming thick and fast every few days.
It was little wonder the manager got to the finishing line and immediately went for a lie down.
This year has started differently, with one game a week for the opening month, given the gaffer time to work with his side at Lennoxtown, rather than just dunk his men in ice baths and get set for the next challenge.
Postecoglou is clearly making the most of it and he knows it won’t be long before the squad are back on the hectic hamster wheel with the Champions League around the corner.
He said: “We just get back to our work, it’s the last week or so we have without midweek games so it’s really important for us to get another solid week of work into the lads and get them ready for another difficult game next week against Hearts back at home and then move on.”
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