Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou makes Ajax admission

Ange Postecoglou has proven himself at a club like Celtic. Before the arrival of the former Australian national team boss, the Hoops were dealing with a bit of an identity crisis following the disastrous 2020/21 campaign, which had produced neither silverware nor good football. Following the departure of Neil Lennon, it was clear that they needed a strong personality as well as a clever tactician to get them through the tough times ahead.

Almost no one would’ve expected to see Postecoglou do wonders in his first season for the Hoops. Perhaps that is what gave him an edge over the proven managers with recognition in the European circuit.

By the end of the 2021/22 season, Celtic were the champions of Scotland and the holders of the Scottish League Cup. A domestic treble was possible for a long time too. However, they were beaten by the Rangers in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup.

Apart from winning trophies, Postecoglou’s time has so far provided Celtic with a clear identity both on and off the field. His way of recruiting players has caught the eye from the very beginning and fans can only hope that he remains the manager of the club for years to come.

Celtic boss makes Ajax admission

Speaking to Stan Sport Football in Australia and as reported by Football Scotland, Postecoglou seemed to suggest that he was taking inspiration from the Ajax model:

"“If you look at Ajax now, and people say Ajax have sold so many players in recent times but are consistently making the Champions League and made it to a semi-final.“There was probably a three or four year period when they were building that team that they didn’t even win the Dutch league.“But they had the discipline to say well we’re going to play young players. We probably won’t win the Dutch league, but over the course of time.“You look at a club like that and they’re chipping away at it. That’s where I see a club like Celtic.“You go into the competition, yes for experience, but also to make an impact and chip away at these bigger clubs, so that every time you are in it, you get a little bit closer.“Will you ever get to the same space? Probably not. But enough when you’re more than competitive.”"

After making a fantastic start to their league campaign in Scotland, Celtic experienced a bump in the road right before the international break, with St Mirren beating the Hoops 2-0 in Paisley.

That means that their lead at the top of the table has now been reduced to just two points and thus, Postecoglou’s side will look to return to the winning ways as they host Motherwell in a Premiership fixture on Saturday.