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Since his arrival as the Celtic manager last summer, one thing that has been constant about Ange Postecoglou has been the football that he wants his team to play. Angeball as it was known in Australia and Japan, has taken Scottish football by storm as well, resulting in a Premiership and League Cup triumph against all expectations.
This time around, the start has been promising as well. Celtic sit four points clear at the top of the table with a 4-0 win over the Rangers from the first Glasgow Derby of the season already in the bag. Also, they have sealed their place in the League Cup semi-final, a trophy they must be keen to defend.
Celtic’s next test will be up against Livingston, away at the Almondvale Stadium. It is a tough place to travel to. Also, David Martindale’s side will have a pep in their step, having drawn 1-1 against the Rangers away at Ibrox last weekend.
Postecoglou was recently asked whether there would be any change of approach to tackle the challenge posed by Livingston. As reported by 67 Hail Hail, the manager said while speaking in a media conference on Celtic’s official YouTube channel:
"“No mate I don’t lie to you, I don’t lie to the players. What I say is what I say. We’ve got to play our football because within our football all those things are there, you know.“Whatever the challenge is, we’re not going to overcome it by changing our approach. That’s not going to work for us. What works for us, we have some basic fundamentals that we want to lean on – working hard, trying to dominate the game in possession and being really aggressive without the ball.“When we do those things, irrespective of the opposition home or away, we’re a tough team to beat. That’s what we’ve got to deliver on the weekend.”"
Postecoglou sends clear message to media about Celtic’s approach
Postecoglou has made it clear several times during his time as Celtic manager that he wants his team to play a certain brand of football.
The manager has stuck to that even in the Champions League, against teams like Real Madrid and RB Leipzig.
While the results in Europe’s elite competition might not have been brilliant, it is the finishing that let Celtic down. The performances were very encouraging and showed that this side is capable of competing with the very best, if they can finish off their chances.
So, it is hard to imagine that Postecoglou would want his side to change their approach, which has worked wonders in Scotland, against Livingston.