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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Ewan Paton

Postecoglou will set Celtic target on Champions League last-16, says Strachan

Ange Postecoglou will want to test his team in the knockout rounds of the Champions League before leaving Celtic.

That's the view of former Parkhead gaffer Gordon Strachan.

In an interview with Casinosite.nl, Strachan was asked about the likelihood of Postecoglou extending his contract with the Hoops.

He said: “There’s nothing wrong with being on a rolling contract. The situation at Celtic is always that you’ve got a year. That’s different from signing contracts. The fact is that Ange will be enjoying it so much, you get a buzz just from being there.

"He had some good spells last year in the Champions League for half an hour against Real Madrid and they played well against RB Leipzig. But I think Ange really wants to get out of the group stage and have a go at the last 16.

"That would be a feather in his cap. I really think he’d enjoy that. I think the whole of Europe would sit up and take notice of Celtic and say ‘wow there’s really something going on there."

When asked if he thought Postecoglou could manage in the Premier League, Strachan added: “He’ll stay at Celtic for another year, I think we all hope so anyway. If he does leave, he’s got to go to a club that feels right to Mr Postecoglou.

"I’m hoping that Ange doesn’t move for a long, long time but if he does it has to be to a club that will say ‘right we’ll back you’. But it’s going to be hard to bring players in that want to do what he wants to do, in the way he wants to.

"There’s a couple of names of clubs that have been mentioned that make you go ‘ooh that’s a two- or three-year job and that one’s a four-year job.’ In saying that, most people probably thought that Ange going to Celtic would be a two-year job, but he did it within two months because he had a group of players there that had humility, as did the ones that he brought in.

"They had a work ethic and a desire to get better. He’s got to look at these clubs and think ‘do these players want to do that?"

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