A new manager can outline his vision to his team and their fans until he is blue in the face. Or in Ange Postecoglou ’s case, green at the gills.
But his words and actions won’t carry the same weight as they do after he’s hoisted a shiny piece of silverware up to the sky in celebration. That, Postecoglou contends, is when the people a coach has to carry with him truly begin to believe the man at the helm does know what he’s talking about.
And that’s why he looks back on Celtic’s League Cup triumph as being pivotal in the success that has rolled on relentlessly since that afternoon six days before Christmas in 2021. Two goals from Kyogo Furuhashi put Hibs to the sword, after Paul Hanlon had struck first, and the Hoops have never looked back. The champions return to Hampden on Saturday to defend their trophy against Kilmarnock in what is now known as the Viaplay Cup.
Whatever it’s called, the objective is still the same – to keep winning, keep evolving. But while he is forever looking at what’s next, Postecoglou looked back at that League Cup success and acknowledged its importance in giving credibility to his plans for the Parkhead club.
He said: “In the context of where we are on our journey, to win a trophy so early certainly helped fast-track a lot of the things I wanted to implement. When you’re winning major trophies three months into your tenure it garners belief in everything you’re doing and accelerates everyone’s learnings.
“And they want more of it. You talk about having success and when you win something it’s not something abstract. So in the context of where we are now it was certainly a very important part of our season.”
That campaign ended with two trophies, the Scottish Cup eluding Celtic after losing the semi to Rangers in what was Postecoglou’s first taste of defeat at the National Stadium. On trips to Hampden, he added: “I’ve enjoyed the wins, didn’t enjoy the loss.
"That’s always the main thing I guess. It’s a unique venue in that whenever you play at Hampden you know there is something on the line. You’re not playing there for it to be just another game – it’s either a semi-final or a final. It’s always a great occasion and we are looking forward to it. I’ve enjoyed all three games for the occasions they are and, again, for us to make it memorable we have to perform well and win.”
Despite beating Derek McInnes’ side last weekend, he knows there are no guarantees Celtic will do so on Saturday. Postecoglou points to some of the shocks south of the border this past week as proof anything can happen.
“There’s no doubt about that,” he said. “You just have to look down south in the FA Cup over the weekend. There is always a different element to it.
“It allows players to play with a little less fear – even though there’s so much on the edge – particularly for the teams who aren’t expected to win because they’ve got nothing to lose. It’s not like they are losing three points and falling behind in the table.
"They can give it all out there and see what comes of it. We have to be ready for that and have the same sort of mentality.
"We can’t just expect that because we were successful last week and it’s a bit of a unique situation because we are playing the same team two weeks in a row. I have no doubt Derek will have his team up for it but we will be up for it as well.”
They should be as well. Confidence is sky-high, having faced just one defeat – away to St Mirren – and a draw at Ibrox to blemish a perfect domestic start. Postecoglou acknowledges that but he won’t allow his team to rest on their laurels, dubbing their “progression” as the “most pleasing thing”.
He said: “We are still evolving, still getting stronger and post the break I think we’ve seen some of our strongest performances. That’s the pleasing aspect and we have to keep doing that.”
New signing Tomoki Iwata will not feature in Saturday’s semi-final, having not played since November. But his manager is convinced he’ll be an asset when his fitness is up to the mark, pointing to the midfielder’s “fantastic work ethic” and versatility.
Postecoglou told Celtic TV: “I’m constantly looking at how we can evolve and get stronger as a squad, not just as a team, and I have no doubt Tomoki will add to that once we allow him to settle and get involved. It’s a great challenge for him. He’s had a strong desire to have a crack at Europe and come to the other side of the world. He’s bided his time, to be fair, but done all he can in Japan.
“He’s won championships, he’s won Player of the Year and has been on the fringes of the national team, so this is the next step for him.”
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