Ange Postecoglou insists Celtic don’t need an Ibrox Guard of Honour to get respect – as the messages of congratulations from rival bosses mean more than any symbolic gestures.
The Hoops boss doesn’t blame Michael Beale and the Rangers squad for refusing to pay homage to the newly-crowned champions on home soil this lunchtime as his side look to end the season unbeaten in six Old Firm showdowns. Postecoglou reckons there’s already a grudging respect between the rivals regardless of any public show of admiration.
The Celtic gaffer – in the running for the PFA Scotland Manager of the Year award along with St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson, Dunfermline’s James McPake and Stirling Albion manager Darren Young – said: “It’s a trivial matter. Those things are not important to me. Rangers can handle it in their own way. I tend to think these things are more symbolic gestures anyway. If you scratch any at the surface, I think you will find respect from both sets of players.
“It might be grudging, but they know how hard it is to be successful. There’s always respect.
“We don’t need guards of honour and I wouldn’t criticise Rangers for giving one or not. It’s down to the individual’s decision. It’s not important to me.
“It’s not something I can remember coming across too much over the years. There’s nothing wrong with it, if that’s tradition in the context of the sport.
“But I don’t like it when people put these things up as some kind of sign of standards of a club. It’s just symbolic. Real respect comes from different ways. I’ve had text messages from just about every Premiership manager congratulating us on our season and we are fierce competitors every week.
“That’s how you show respect. You know it’s there and you don’t need any grand gestures.”
Postecoglou will have Kyogo Furuhashi fit but he’s considering chucking some of his fringe men such as Oh Hyeon-gyu
and Tomoki Iwata into the Ibrox cauldron to taste the white-hot atmosphere.
The Hoops gaffer is still demanding a winning display though as he wants to maintain momentum all the way to the Scottish Cup Final on June 3 against Inverness Caley Thistle.
He said: “We’ve still got something to play for in the next four games, we need to make sure we are ready for the Final because that is massive for us.
“I’m sure the lads would be focused irrespective of who we are facing. They want to make sure they are part of the Final.
“The derbies are cracking games. We’re away from home with no supporters. It’s a huge challenge and we’ll need to play well if we want to get a result.
“It’s about preparing a team for the Final so a few boys will need game time in case there are injuries leading up to Hampden.
“It’s an opportunity to put in some guys and allow them to experience the pretty unique atmosphere of Ibrox in front of now away fans and against a good opponent.
“We’ll continue to push them in these last few games, again in pre-season, so they’re well-established for the new season and entrenched in the way we play and train and what the club is all about. We want to win the game – and we’ll send out a team to do so.”
Rangers are looking to make a statement for next term with a victory. But Postecoglou said: “It doesn’t concern me. If I got wrapped up in that stuff about mental scars I’d have packed my bags last year.
“You take each on an individual basis and when it’s done and dusted, you move along to the next. You can’t rest on your laurels in this kind of game and think one side is in the ascendancy.
"We want to continue our form, finish strongly and prepare for the Cup Final. Next season we all start at zero. You don’t take any points with you.”
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