LIKE all gracious award winners, Ange Postecoglou admitted he was both honoured and humbled when he was named PFA Scotland Manager of the Year by his peers at a lavish dinner in a Glasgow city centre hotel on Sunday night.
And the Celtic manager, who pipped Dick Campbell of Arbroath, Malky Mackay of Ross County and Paul Hartley of Cove Rangers to the coveted gong, reverted to type when he paid tribute to the players, coaches and backroom staff at Parkhead who have aided him this season.
Yet, perhaps the fact the Greek-Australian, who has picked up numerous accolades during his long and trophy-laden coaching career, is far more concerned with the Glasgow club landing silverware than any personal recognition which comes his way was part of the reason for his humility.
Ensuring that his skipper Callum McGregor, who was a deserved recipient of the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award, lifts the cinch Premiership trophy is of far greater importance to him and remains his firm focus.
The 1-1 draw the top flight leaders were held to by Rangers at home on Sunday has done little if anything to damage their hopes of claiming the Scottish title; they are still six points ahead of their nearest challengers with just three games remaining.
A league triumph over third-placed Hearts in the East End this Saturday will make it impossible for Premier Sports Cup winners, who have a vastly superior goal difference to their city rivals, to be caught at the top of the table.
However, Postecoglou, whose charges take on Dundee United at Tannadice a week tomorrow and then Motherwell at Parkhead three days later, is taking absolutely nothing for granted.
He remains determined to land the ultimate prize and will not celebrate until he has done so.
“I’ve always been the kind of guy who looks ahead at what’s next,” he said yesterday when he was asked what the PFA Scotland award meant to him. “It’s not that I dismiss it. I take huge pride in it, because you are sharing it with people.
“What remains is the experience rather than the hardware. I’ve been fortunate in my career, and all of those moments have been pretty special. One day I will have the time to reflect, but it’s not now. We still have the big one to try to win in the next couple of weeks.”
Much was made of Postecoglou not bringing in his own coaching staff with him when he was appointed Celtic manager back in June – inheriting the existing backroom team was seen by many fans and pundits as being a potential impediment to his chances of enjoying success here.
Surely, the sceptics asked, a man who had spent his playing and coaching career in Australia, Greece and Japan needed to have trusted lieutenants around him in order to flourish in this country?
But he was quick to stress just how invaluable the support of John Kennedy, Stephen McManus, Gavin Strachan and Stevie Woods has been to him in the past 11 months after receiving the PFA Scotland award.
The 58-year-old feels the Scottish quartet, who many fans were keen to see replaced after the bid to complete 10-In-A-Row last term unravelled so spectacularly, will deserve just as much credit as him when the Parkhead club finally get over the line in the Premiership in the coming days.
“It’s been a challenging year, no doubt,” said Postecoglou. “From our perspective, the award is representative of a whole group who work really hard.
“It’s well chronicled that I came here alone, and it needed a leap of faith by a lot of people to buy in to me and my vision for the football club. All of the staff have been outstanding with the way they have embraced what I wanted to do here.
“They have been super important. That’s why most managers usually take a group of people with them. You need that strong support staff. I did it in a different way. What I saw when I got here was, yes, the club had a tough year last year, but previously they had a lot of success.
“There’s a lot of people who work really hard. They don’t get the recognition their work sometimes deserves. I’ve tried to emphasise we’ve done it as a team, players and staff, it’s been a collective effort. It’s not one person making the difference, it’s certainly not just me.
“It’s important those guys get the encouragement and reward for their efforts. What’s most important to me is people believe in my vision and the support I’ve had since day one has been outstanding.”
Postecoglou singled out his assistant Kennedy for special praise and outlined the important role the former Celtic and Scotland centre half has had in implementing the sweeping tactical changes which he has introduced this season.
The former Yokohama F Marinos manager has been widely praised for the attractive and attacking brand of football which his side has produced both at home and abroad in the 2021/22 campaign – but he believes his right hand man has been crucial to the transformation.
“John has been at this club a long time as a player and part of the coaching staff,” he said. “He’s seen the best this club can be and seen it through tough times as well.
“I thought he'd be a fantastic ally for me, to help get my message across to everyone. I needed him to buy in to my vision and the way I worked. He embraced it from the start and he’s been a key person in the set-up.”
