It makes Ange Postecoglou's job that bit easier when his unrelenting demand for better becomes a two-way street.
The Celtic manager's thoughts and feelings about standards were made abundantly clear early on in that absolute gift of a clip for the club's marketing department. But, as it turns out, it's not just he and his coaching staff pushing the ‘we never stop’ mantra every day.
Postecoglou says Celtic's players ‘demand’ that he is forever on their collective case to reach the next level. Having won 17 of their 18 Premiership matches so far this season, closing out 2022 with an unbeaten domestic home record, it's safe to say the dynamic is working for everybody except, perhaps, those lining up against them.
A 4-1 win over St Johnstone on Christmas Eve restored a nine-point advantage over second-placed Rangers, one that can, at the very least, be maintained heading into the January 2 derby if they beat Hibs at Easter Road on Wednesday. Postecoglou has marked the arrival of 2023 as a new phase for his team and is adamant they can get stronger still in the year to come.
"I’ve never sensed with this group that they’ll ever get complacent or comfortable, or have any resistance to wanting to improve," he said. "Again, it’s easier said than done because our results are so good and we’re sitting top of the ladder.
“It’d be easy for the guys to get comfortable in that moment, but I’ve always sensed they want and demand more. My role and the coaches’ role is to give them that feedback when it’s required and to keep pushing them.
“I firmly believe we can get better and stronger as a team. If I just had results as the reference point, it’d be very hard for me to give them that feedback. The players know I don’t base it on results, I base it on performances.
“They demand it of me to make sure I’m constantly pushing them.”
But given their formidable form, there's surely only so much more they can improve on the domestic front? Postecoglou doesn't think so.
He was left very obviously frustrated with an uninspired home victory over Livingston last week, and that appeared to spark a response in putting four past Saints. Celtic were noticeably sharper and more incisive, so much so they had the points pretty much wrapped after less than 20 minutes.
And it's not just progression as a collective. Postecoglou's work in dramatically improving individuals was duly noted after his first season in charge, providing a fresh lease of life to some who looked jaded under the previous regime.
14 of his current squad are 25 or younger, so the manager pointed out that means there are plenty in his ranks who should still have their best years to come - and that it's up to him to help them peak as high as possible.
“It’s everything," Postecoglou said. "Like I said after the Livingston game, we won but can’t dismiss that we didn’t do certain things that are part of our game. You saw against St Johnstone, every time we got into a wide area, we had guys attacking the areas we needed to, and it made us so much more threatening and dangerous.
“From that perspective, there are always things we can improve. Individually, they can improve as well, a lot of them are still at an age where their best football is ahead of them, and I want to make sure they get there.”
One such example is Reo Hatate. The Japanese midfielder was asked to fill-in at right-back against Saints, a role he embraced with the enthusiasm Postecoglou has come to expect from him.
Hatate got on the scoresheet twice and was denied a hat-trick only by the width of a post. Should neither Josip Juranovic nor Anthony Ralston be passed fit for the trip to Edinburgh, it's likely the 23-year-old will find himself in defence again.
Hatate occasionally played left-back earlier in his career, but Celtic's system often places him in wide positions even when he's deployed in centre-midfield.
Watch how he often pulls away to the left flank to get on the ball as Greg Taylor shuffles inside and it becomes clear deputising at right-back was never likely to present much of an issue. Hibs may feel they can present him a greater defensive test than St Johnstone, but Postecoglou is confident he can adapt to the challenge.
The manager speaks highly of a player forever looking for areas to improve - so much so that he and his backroom occasionally don't have any more to give him when he comes banging on the door. But Postecoglou insists that's exactly why Hatate will just keep on getting better.
“I mean, I don’t think Reo is going to be a full-back," Postecoglou said. "But the way we play, we could probably take one of our full-backs and put them into midfield and they would understand what to do because the way we play requires them to be in those areas.
“Same with Reo, he knows what it’s like to be a full-back because he finds himself in that position during games of football.
“It depends on individual players and Reo loves feedback. He is constantly seeking it. He’s knocking on Gavin Strachan’s door every day asking for analysis and feedback. There can be nothing to give him, but he still demands it because he’s that type of player. That’s why he keeps improving and will keep improving.”
