Ange Postecoglou insists he can’t be expected to work a Champions League ‘miracle’ on Celtic - as he braces himself for more bad news on crocked skipper Callum McGregor.
The Aussie spoke out following Wednesday’s crushing Champions League Group F defeat against RB Leipzig which has left his side rock bottom with just one point from a possible nine, and while Postecoglou revealed McGregor has visited a specialist to determine the full extent of the injury he suffered on a damaging night in Germany, the Parkhead boss says he’s not about to push the panic button just yet.
In a strong defence of his own tactical masterplan, Postecoglou insisted he needs more time to make his side competitive against European football’s elite. “Absolutely, I’m no miracle worker," he said. "It’s not like I have taken over a club that has consistently been in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
“We want to make an impact but there is a process to getting there and it takes time. The way you make progress is by being brave, bold and not looking to survive.
“As human beings, your natural inclination is to try to feel comfortable. Who wants a struggle in life? Nobody. But in elite sport, comfortable doesn’t get you to the next level. Comfortable keeps you in the same place.
“You need to be uncomfortable, you need to push yourself, make mistakes and test yourself in every moment. I want to see what other possibilities exist but to do that, we need to brave and courageous in our outlook. That is how you create something special.”
But Postecoglou looks set to have to plan for life without McGregor after confirming that his midfield stalwart won’t be back in action any time soon. McGregor limped off in Leipzig after suffering an injury in the build up to the German side’s opening goal and although he is banned for the clash with St Johnstone, there are fears that he could be out for a lot longer.
Postecoglou said: “We are still waiting to hear. He’s off to see the specialist this morning so we will just have a look.
“Obviously for him to come off it’s fairly significant. As for timelines we will find out. It’s obviously not short-term but we are hoping it’s not too long term.”
Danish new boy Oliver Abildgaard and fringe man Yosuke Ideguchi could now come into contention for a starting place in Celtic’s midfield; but Postecoglou admits replacing McGregor will be an impossible task. He continued: “Well, you can’t replace him because he’s been here for ten years. It’s not a matter of replacing him, it’s about finding solutions within the group to fill the gaps.
“That might be one person, that might be two or three people in terms of the leadership. It’s an opportunity for others to step up now and step into the breach.
“Ultimately, there’s a reason why Callum is the captain. He’s also a fantastic captain and those types aren’t easy to replace. It’s not just what he brings to the team in his performances, which is pretty significant for the team and how we want to play.
“But there is also what he offers us in terms of leadership and general influence around the place. It is what it is. We need to deal with it. We missed him for a few games last season as well and we are going to have to cope with it, and continue our progress until he comes back.
“Callum is disappointed but we are just waiting to see what the actual situation is with the injury. He is as anxious as anyone to find out what the recovery process is.
“I know he will be working hard, whatever the timeline is, to get back. But in the meantime we need other players to step up.”
Postecoglou may also be without Cameron Carter-Vickers, Carl Starfelt and David Turnbull for the trip to Perth but he said: “It’s just the nature of football. Sometimes you go through these periods, we had it last year as well.
“It’s just unfortunate stuff. It’s not like it’s soft tissue injuries, it’s knocks, collisions or illnesses. This is stuff you can’t legislate for.”
