ALAN STUBBS believes there is no chance of Ange Postecoglou following Brendan Rodgers by leaving Celtic for the English Premier League any time soon, and that he is well on his way to surpassing the levels of adoration the support once held for the ‘Treble Treble’ winning manager.
Stubbs has played for Celtic, and has played at the top level in England. He knows full well that no matter the draw of the club he came to love in Glasgow, the glamour and riches south of the border can hold a compelling allure too.
But he is certain that reports linking Postecoglou with a move to replace new Chelsea manager Graham Potter at Brighton are wide of the mark, and that his lofty position among the runners and riders in the odds list only goes to show that sometimes, the bookmakers do indeed get it wrong.
For Stubbs, Postecoglou is only at the beginning of his Celtic journey, and while he concedes that moving on to a big club in England or further afield may be inevitable at some point down the line should his star continue to rise as it has since he came to these shores, the Brighton job represents neither the right timing nor the right opportunity.
Postecoglou, he asserts, will be of a similar mind, with the rousing ovation he received in the closing stages of Celtic’s 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid during the week only serving to affirm that if he follows his project through, he has an opportunity to write himself into the folklore of the club.
“To be honest, I don’t think it would tempt him,” Stubbs said.
“I think people in England will only have been impressed by what he did last season. I was hugely impressed personally by the job that he did.
“He calmed the waters, rebuilt the squad, and not only turned them back into challengers, but won the league comfortably in the end.
“You can only be impressed by him, and I would have thought he would have certainly caught the attention of Premier League clubs in England. There is no doubt about that.
“I still feel as if he is in the early stages of this project though, and I feel he’s got a real mutual affection going with the fans.
“It’s football, so I could say one thing right now and he could be gone by Monday, but I just get the impression that he wants to carry through what he has started at Celtic.
“There’s a huge season ahead for Celtic. We’re only in the first few weeks.
“Looking at the Brighton job, it’s a great club and they are doing really well, but I’m not seeing Brighton as a team that are pushing for European places season upon season. They are a well-run club, and they keep their finances on a tight rein.
“When you look where Celtic are in the Champions League and what that can do in terms of your ability to then bring players to the club, I think that is a bigger incentive than trying to sign players – no disrespect – for Brighton.
“And there aren’t many places where at 3-0 down you can have 60,000 fans singing your name. Definitely not.
“This is a big thing to say, and I know with Brendan Rodgers in the end that it turned a bit sour and a bit acrimonious because of the way he left, but the fans absolutely adored Brendan before that, and Ange for me is well on his way to surpassing that.
“That is how much regard they hold him in, he is god-like with the fans already.
“I know this to be true too from my own experience; it’s better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.”
One of the areas where Stubbs feels Postecoglou has unfinished business at Celtic is in establishing the club as a force in European competition once more, not to mention the short-term goal of reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League this season.
“I think a big thing for Ange would be how well he does in the Champions League,” he said.
“That’s where Celtic see themselves ultimately, and if he does well there, then even bigger clubs will be looking at him.
“But I still think it’s early days for Celtic in the Champions League. That takes a couple of years of gradual investment in terms of improving the squad with Champions League players.
“It’s fantastic this season that you’ve got Celtic and you’ve got Rangers in the Champions League, but it’s a huge ask for them to qualify out of the groups in their first season back at this level.
“I think Celtic have got a better chance than Rangers if I’m being honest, even because of the groups, but it’s still going to be tough.
“So, in terms of judging Ange from a Champions League point of view, I would be more likely to judge him next season, rather than this season. And I think he will want to follow that through.”
Should he manage to have Celtic competing at such a level over a consistent period, then Stubbs believes he will draw admirers from far and wide.
“I’ve not just been impressed by Ange in terms of what he has done with the team, but I’ve been impressed by him as an individual,” Stubbs continued.
“The way he speaks, the way he carries himself, he just seems a very sensible and level-headed individual who knows what he wants and how to put that across.
“I think the thing that has most impressed a lot of people is the style of football. He’s got a method of playing and a philosophy that is aggressive both ways, in defence and in attack. That’s what modern-day clubs are all looking for now.
“But you’ve got to be mindful as well that he’s only just had his first full season at the club, so people will look as well to see progression, and that it wasn’t only a one season thing.
“I think if at the end of the season, you see the same results, then he will definitely be getting the attention of people in England. And not just England, but in Europe as well.”
