Ange Postecoglou has warned Celtic's rivals they will be even better next season.
The Hoops landed back to back Scottish Premiership crowns following victory over Hearts at Tynecastle. They've secured a second domestic success of the season with four games to play and only Inverness standing between them and a Treble when the duo set to go head to head in the Scottish Cup Final in early June.
The champions have four games to play in the league and can still set a new points record by winning the final handful of matches. The Celtic gaffer has always been active and quick at getting his transfers done and he won't be resting on his laurels ahead of the new season. Postecoglou has previously admitted big name players could depart alongside new faces arriving in Glasgow. That could well be the case this summer but that doesn't faze the 57-year-old who faced a similar scenario with Josip Juranovic and Giorgos Giakoumakis in January.
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He said: “You can always improve. That’s my role. A lot of these guys are still young in terms of their football careers. I think there is improvement in us as a group. The experiences we’ve had this year, whether that is in Europe or domestically, make us stronger.
“It will be our task to make sure. It’s what I said at the end of last year: if we stand still, if we come out next year as the same team we were this year there is always the chance that somebody can overtake you. We can’t let that happen.
“We have to push on and make sure we become a better team. Results-wise that will be awfully difficult because it has just been an incredible standard, but in terms of the football there is always room for improvement.”
He added: “It’s always a possibility. But there are different decisions you make around players. Sometimes players feel a desire to move on and it works well for the club.
“We are always going to do what’s best for the football club. It’s got to marry with what we are trying to achieve. But I think what we have shown is that whether it’s absences through injury or through people leaving the club, we are still strong enough to be able to tackle the tasks ahead.”
Next up is an Old Firm showdown with Rangers at Ibrox. Celtic have had the better of the derbies with Michael Beale still looking for his first win as he heads into his fifth derby since his arrival in Glasgow.
Postecoglou faces a wait over striker Kyogo Furuhashi who aggravated a long-standing shoulder issue at the weekend.
He said: “He hurt his shoulder a little bit. Hopefully it’s not too bad. Obviously he’s had a few issues with it. We will just see and speak to the physios.”
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