Ange Postecoglou is adamant Celtic won’t back away from the Treble battle.
The Parkhead gaffer is preparing for the run-in and a crack at winning two more pieces of silverware in his first term in charge.
Postecoglou has already won the Premier Sports Cup, his team have a three-point lead in the Premiership with seven games to go and are also in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.
The manager has no idea how things will pan out in the final two months of the term.
But Postecoglou is convinced his players have proven they have the backbone for the battle having come through a severe series of tests so far.
Asked what Celtic need to do to seal a triumphant end to this campaign, he said: “Just stay the course.
“All you can do is put yourself in a position to win things.
“So far we’ve done things a certain way and it’s got us into this position, still knowing that the key bit is ahead of us.
“What you’ve got to fall back on is that I’ve got a real resilient group of players.
“We’ve had injuries, Covid has hit us pretty hard at different times. All these things have happened and, along the way, I could have made allowances for the players.
“I didn’t, I said, ‘No, we need to have success.’ To their credit, this group has not made one excuse all the way through.
“So when you go into the toughest part of the year, you don’t know how the football’s going to pan out but I’ve got a real strong, resilient group of players. A group of people who, whatever the battle is going to be, whatever the challenge, they’re going to be up for it.
“That gives me the confidence and the soundness to say, ‘Well, we’re going to have a go. I think we’ll have a crack at it.’
“But, until it’s all done and dusted, you don’t know how it will all pan out.”
Postecoglou loves being at the heart of the title dust-up. Being under the severest scrutiny.
Speaking with former Socceroo Mark Schwarzer in an interview for Optus Sports, he said: “You don’t go into a job like this kidding yourself about what you are taking on.
“I was under no illusions I was taking on a massive football club, with a massive following and massive expectations.
“But it’s what was appealing to me. That’s where I wanted to be. I couldn’t do one of these five-year AFL plans where I walk in and say, ‘I’ll build a team in that time.’
“I knew that wouldn’t cut it and it shouldn’t at a club like this.
“The reality is I had to come in this year and bring success. This club can not go two years without having silverware.
“Every job I have been in has been the same. There is always a bit of scepticism or conjecture at the start.
“There was a lot here. Not a little – a lot.
“But I’m always confident that once I start working and get on with it, people will see what I am trying to do and those sorts of things should fade away if what I do is effective.
“For the last 30 years, every day I wake up, I feel blessed at being able to do what I do.
“It’s now just about trying to create some special experiences along the way.
“I managed South Melbourne to two championships, I managed Brisbane to two championships, I got South Melbourne to a Champions League, I won an Asian Cup, got us (Australia) to a World Cup, I won a championship in Japan.
“What I try to explain to people is that I don’t do this because I want to prove something or I love this kind of football.
“I do this because it is successful. I know that’s the way to success.”
Postecoglou’s swashbuckling team has captured the imagination and hearts of the Parkhead supporters during a highly-impressive opening stint.
The boss has stamped his style and said: “Well, I don’t see any reason why I should (change) because I’ve had so much success.
“I’d be absolutely dumb to change my approach, even though that’s what people have constantly said to me.
“There are many ways to play football. There are even more ways to survive in football than there are to success.
“The road to success is fairly narrow. There’s a certain formula you need to follow.
“That doesn’t mean one way of football.
“That just means that the most successful clubs and the most successful managers are the ones who’ve got a real clear idea about how they want their teams to play. And that goes from Atletico Madrid to Manchester City in terms of styles but real clear identity.
“That’s where I fit. I’ve got a real clear idea of the road to success. So what people try to do is pull you on to the other side of the road, where you can survive doing it many different ways but all you’ll ever do is survive.
“I’ve never felt the need to do things differently or try to play a different way because it’s always been successful for me. And I know it’ll be successful for me wherever I am.”
