CELTIC will feel that their performances in the Champions League this season have earned them the right to the largely upbeat appraisals that have followed, despite their lack of tangible rewards by way of points and victories. But taking on board the harsh lessons is also vital if they are to improve at the highest level, meaning brutal honesty is also required.
Ange Postecoglou is candid enough to recognise that fact, and acknowledging the shortcomings of his own team has been just as central to his reflections as accentuating the positives in the days since Celtic’s exit from European football was confirmed with the draw against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday night.
There is little point, in the Celtic manager’s view, of airbrushing over their the weaknesses that were exposed. In Postecoglou’s mind, to deny them would be to squander the experience they have gained, with the only way to remedy their weaknesses being to confront them head on.
