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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Graeme Young

Celtic and the transfer 'elimination' as Ange Postecoglou reveals knack for identifying signing gems

Celtic supporters would likely struggle to narrow down Ange Postecoglou 's incredible impact in one particular area.

There's been resilience after three defeats in the first six Premiership games before the 30-game undefeated run sparked a title in waiting.

Excitement and belief are other phrases Celtic fans would use to describe both the football, coupled with the determination to come through 12 months after finishing 25 points behind Rangers.

For all of Postecoglou's ability, perhaps his greatest strength is his crystal clear vision for identifying the players who will bring his football vision to life.

Celtic's hits in the transfer market have been bountiful – the vast majority of the current team were signed by the Australian.

His knowledge of the Japanese market helped secure Kyogo, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate, a trio who have made the telling difference.

Joe Hart, Giorgos Giakoumakis and Josip Juranovic have all turned heads, loan stars Jota and Cameron Carter Vickers have been so good that fans are desperate to see those deals become permanent.

But what comes next?

The game has changed for Celtic as a guaranteed place in the Champions League group stage lies in wait, with a bounty of £40m up for grabs.

Postecoglou won't need a revamp this time around but that doesn't mean the art of landing players from under the radar will be lost.

The man himself knows his ability to secure Celtic with the type of players overlook can give them a transfer edge ahead of a return to European football's top table.

He said: “I was always going to be judged on the players I brought in because that’s where you put your words into practice. We brought in Kyogo and Liel Abada and they hit the ground running.

“Am I surprised at how successful our strike rate has been? No.

“I don’t say that dismissively. It’s not an exact science and it’s not all about money.

“There are plenty of clubs around the world who spend a hell of a lot and don’t get it right.

“The reason I was confident was because it has been part of my whole career.

“I had a clear idea of the kind of football we wanted to play and I’m pretty good at identifying the players who will fit into my system.

“That means I can eliminate a lot of players. I’ve always backed myself and more often than not – not always – I will get it right.

“I was confident, for example, that Kyogo would make a hell of an impact.

“I knew he’d fit into my style and the type of player he is.

“So there was a good chance of success and that would then buy me the faith and trust of people to continue.”

The 56-year-old's illuminating insight into what makes Celtic tick will be of encouragement to supporters who have total faith in his abilities both on and off the pitch.

And while the likes of Kyogo, Carl Starfelt and Josip Juranovic were chucked in through necessity last summer - it will likely be a different story this time around.

Celtic have had time to put plans in place and incoming recruitment chief Mark Lawwell boasts a clear understanding of how Postecoglou works from his time with Yokohama Marinos.

Jota and Kyogo celebrate (SNS Group)

The J-League side are part of the City Group and Lawwell's wide-ranging role at Manchester City means he is acutely aware of the manager's preferences.

Factor in the bonus of no arduous qualifying stages and it truly will allow Celtic to plan ahead in a way that hasn't been possible over the past decade.

And Postecoglou's firm idea of identifying players for their ability to fit his system bodes well for more transfer successes in the coming months.

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