Ange Postecoglou will be glued to the box like the rest of the globe during the World Cup. But the Celtic boss admitted he might be tuning in for several different reasons. Postecoglou will cheering on the Socceroos of course.
He’s taken Australia to a World Cup and led them to another one, but this time he is watching his team like a punter. He’ll also be keeping tabs on the Celtic stars performing elsewhere, such as Josip Juranovic for Croatia or Daizen Maeda with Japan. Postecoglou can’t wait to see the drama unfold over the coming weeks but the Parkhead gaffer also revealed he might be casting his eye on a couple of potential new recruits.
The Aussies were in action against France last night and he said: “I’ll watch it (the World Cup). It’s one of those events you get engrossed in when it comes around. There are always great stories and we’ve got a few participants in there. There might be a couple of others I’m looking at as well..."
Postecoglou might be on the lookout for some players who catch his eye in Qatar. But the Celtic boss admitted he’s already well underway when it comes to his January shopping plans. Postecoglou is not the type of guy who enjoys a last dash supermarket sweep.
He likes to do his business nice and early to allow any new faces to settle in at Celtic and then hit the ground running. The manager will always remain tight-lipped on actual targets but he conceded he’s well down the line on the New Year recruitment drive.
Vissel Kobe defender Yuki Kobayashi is likely to check in, but he won’t be the only one. Postecoglou said: “It’s fair to say there’s a couple lined up.
"It’s how we’ve done things and how I believe we need to be. It’s how I’m built. I don’t like rushing around last minute. It’s not always the case. Matt O’Riley we did in three days last year.
"We saw an opportunity and moved really quickly. We need to be agile when we need to and when we don’t, we can methodically plan to make sure we get things done. If we can get guys early, once January 1 hits they are already part of this football club.”
Postecoglou has been a master at exploiting different markets – such as raiding Japan for stars such as Kyogo, Reo Hatate and Maeda. He’s set to dip in against for Kobayashi but the Aussie gaffer admitted he’s determined to cast his net far and wide for bargain buys he can turn in to major assets.
Postecoglou said: “Yes, absolutely. For us to challenge the teams we want to challenge, we need to do things a bit differently. We have to box clever. It’s worked well for us so far. The markets we’ve tapped into have been really beneficial for us and we’ve got great value in terms of what they’ve provided to our football club. We’ll be looking to do it again.”
Postecoglou doesn’t like the stress of panic buying but he does get a kick out of digging out gems and polishing them in to something special. And that’s exactly the aim in the next transfer window as he bid to tool up for the second half of the title race – and another assault on Europe next term.
Postecoglou said: “I’m always happy, always excited. There’s always something that needs to be done. It’s not just about brining in new players for the sake of it. It’s one we feel can take us to the next level. What we have done in the league so far is a strong foundation for us and the target is now to finish the season better than we started.”
Celtic are nine point clear in the Premiership and closed rivals Rangers have just bagged Gio van Bronckhorst, with the new man across the city facing a hefty rebuilding job. The Hoops are settled and in a position of strength – Postecoglou insisted he’s out to turn the screw.
He said: “We’ll definitely be stronger. I’ve said this was the difficult period for us we’ve just been through. No doubt we’ll be stronger – we’ll need to be stronger. We can’t stand still, no matter if people are saying we’ve had a great start. I refuse to stand still. Whatever the watermark has been, we aim to raise it when we get back. It has to be the way. I think that’s what the club has always strived to be.
“I get the sense sometimes you get distracted by other things, but the goal for us should be to always be stronger every year and bridging the gaps with the ones we want to compete with. You have to do that in all areas.”
Postecoglou is in a good place but that doesn’t mean he’ll chill out. Fans have lapped up the clips of the gaffer behind the scenes, especially footage from his time at the Socceroos when he almost puts his fist through a plasma telly. Will it be the same watching his nation in the World Cup?
“I’m sure there will be footage of me here!” Postecoglou laughed. “I’m passionate about what I do and I’m not afraid to show it if need be. It’s not on a weekly basis, it’s kind of selected and it’s to make an impact. All along I’ve just tried to be who I am.”
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