Ange Postecoglou makes Celtic claim to Rio Ferdinand

Ange Postecoglou might have stayed just two years at Celtic before leaving for Tottenham Hotspur, but he certainly left his mark at Parkhead, winning five trophies during that period of time. So much so that even a proven winner like Brendan Rodgers has struggled to replicate that sort of form at the start of this season.

Postecoglou has proven himself in the Premier League already and his Tottenham Hotspur side are putting up a title challenge, exceeding all expectations. And the Australian is being counted among the best managers in the world.

One of the main features of Postecoglou’s management style is how he sticks to his style of football no matter the opposition or occasion. It has earned him criticism at times, for not being pragmatic enough. But one cannot argue with the success that approach has brought him throughout his managerial career.

One game in which Postecoglou’s tactics did not work was Celtic’s 5-1 loss to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu last season. And the manager has now explained his approach in that match to Rio Ferdinand.

Postecoglou makes Celtic claim to Ferdinand

As reported by Eurosport, while speaking with Ferdinand about the 5-1 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid on Between The Lines, Postecoglou said:

"“We paid a heavy price and this is where the tests come. The players are saying to me: ‘if you’re going to change against Real Madrid, you don’t really believe in it.’“So, the challenge for Celtic would be, can we progress from just being aggressive? We have had these moments when we won the ball, but didn’t have the quality to finish off or hurt a team like Real Madrid.“It was about improving that quality in the final third. But I think the players got comfort from knowing that irrespective of the scoreline, I’ll take the flak for the 5-1.“If we keep doing this, we’ll get the rewards at some point.”"

Judging from Postecoglou’s comments, it sounds like the focus was more on improving in the long-term rather than winning just that match. And the Hoops did go on to enjoy a brilliant campaign. If not for a downturn in form after sealing the Premiership title, they could have broken a number of all-time records.

Of course, it is good to see that Postecoglou is enjoying success at the Premier League level as well and proving what Celtic fans already knew, that the Australian is a top manager. On the other hand, the Hoops’ focus now will be on improving under the management of Rodgers over the coming years.