Ruthless Ange Postecoglou insists the mammoth 24 hour trek to Australia was no excuse as he blasted his Hoops for dozing Down Under.
The Celtic manager blasted his side’s display in the 2-1 defeat to A-League outfit Sydney FC despite Kyogo giving the Parkhead men a first half lead. The Scottish champs landed in Oz just 48 hours before kick-off and without several star players through injury or the World Cup commitments. But Postecoglou refused to let the Hoops off the hook.
He said: “No mate. I am not a violin player. We get on with it. They probably are tired. So what? The game was today, it is not tomorrow. That's the way it is and we were not anywhere near the levels we needed to be at but that is part of the learning process for everyone. I understand it is not easy and it is a long trip and you are getting off there and in any game of football there are always excuses if you want them. We have chosen not to do that in the past and that is what we'll do today.”
Postecoglou was recognised before kick-off with his place in the Australian football hall of fame. But he said: “I'm not here on a holiday. I am here representing our football club and that's where my focus is. I am not going to be getting a boat round the harbour tomorrow. I enjoy it when things go well. I don't enjoy it when they don't.
“It is always a disappointment irrespective of any loss. We set a standard and expectations and levels and if we fall below that then it is disappointing irrespective of the circumstances or what the environment is or what the competition is.
“We have standards and we have been really good at maintaining those. You can take these and put them to one side but I think everything has meaning and there is meaning to everything you do.”
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