I’ve avoided writing about the manager’s position until now. The Scottish Cup Final is a huge game for the club and as Ange made clear, our focus should be on nothing else. With the nation’s media now telling us Ange will become the next Tottenham manager, I think you and I can be forgiven for thinking we are not alone in losing focus before a cup final. That’s a pity.
Tottenham income to June 2022 was five times higher than Celtic’s. The Athletic reported Antonio Conte, their last permanent manager, earned £15m a year. In a season there, Ange would earn more money than he has in the rest of his career. Park all the ‘professional challenge’ guff, if he is wanted, there is no question of him taking the job, the money makes sure of that. Life in London is fabulous for someone earning millions a year, no matter what happens on a Saturday afternoon.
He is not away yet and it is not beyond Daniel Levy to make a mess of things, but if he goes, it would be a blow. Ange is likeable, does not play games with the board, delivers within budget and is successful. It would, however, not be a fatal blow.
We stand to lose Ange to one of the City Group’s former men. Tottenham appointed Scott Munn as chief football officer eight weeks ago. Munn knows Ange from their days in Australia, before he became City Group CEO in China, the nearest overseas territory when Ange was a City Group manager in Japan.
There is a bit of karma here, as it was another former City Group exec, Mark Lawwell, who recommended Ange to Celtic in the spring of 2021. Our incredibly rapid rebuild in 2021, from the appointment of Ange Postecoglou forward, benefited enormously from City Group’s research and processes.
In July 2022, after nine years, Mark left City Group to become Celtic’s Head of First Team Scouting and Recruitment. He understood that a little-known Australian working in Japan was perfect option for Celtic and I am sure he will have strong recommendations. The process that found one transformational manager can find another.
A decade ago, everyone wanted a piece of Barcelona. Now, City Group are the only show in town. We employ the same research and evaluation resources, look for the same indicators but work in a market that is not competitive with City Group’s jewel. We have achieved a huge amount of development in the football department in two years. All that remains in place, irrespective of the manager
If Celtic continue to be as successful as they are, we will lose managers and important players on a regular basis. Bringing in replacements is just part of the process. Trust that process.
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It’s in The Sun so it must be true.
Aye right.
The way the Basket Case that is Spurs is run,he will get offered the job at this time next year….
I do think Ange will stay.
Heyho
HH
DENIABHOY @ 12:15 PM,
Excellent post, why this Celtic Board feel they are answerable and accountable to no one is beyond logic.
Yet we trust the process!? Seriously now!!
When was the last time “the process” worked
Hail Hail
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12146833/Furious-Tottenham-fans-launch-campaign-stop-Ange-Postecoglou-Spurs-EPL-coach.html
Support this campaign!
Things do seem to have aligned well for Ange, timing is obviously very important but being offered a job that has a higher profile than any of our previous managers moved on to must tell us something
I’m the last 5 years Spurs have been managed by Pochettino, Mourinho and Conte. All top tier.
Two of our last 3 managers were Brendan Rodgers and Ange Postecoglu
2 of the best Celtic Managers of my lifetime
We must be doing something right
We’re losing Ange to a European Super League team
We nearly had Eddie Howe who’s managing a team in the top 3 in the EPL
But our process is flawed?
100% celtic40me.
KLV
Angry Spurs fans. Christ on a bike. Have we forgotten about our comments?
Some snippets:
“Doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. None. Nada. But..he’s the new mgr & merits our support (initially at least!) as the amateur & shambolic behaviour of the board is nothing to do with him”
“A reckless gamble. Really the best we could get? Doubt it. Board embarrassing themselves again.”
“The club have sucked all joy out of what should’ve been an exciting new start through their own incompetence. But at least we’ve finally got somebody in the door.”
As fans, we always think we are the centre of the universe.
HH
i will come back saturday sometime,
CELTIC40ME @ 1:14 PM,
The process nearly got us Eddie Howe
Nearly
That sounds flawed right there
If you had a motor that nearly got you to your destination, would you be happy with such a vehicle!?
Hail Hail
Hi Bhoys
Regarding all the speculation about Ange’s future. How come I can’t see even the slightest mention on THE BBC sports pages about it. I thought if spurs were that big a club they would be all over it. Sure it’s on BBC Scotland but we all know who’s interest they have in their black hearts (should that be blue).
If he goes we move on in the realization we can’t compete with the finances down there. If he stays we enjoy more success on and off the field. The big mhan has done a fine job thus far.
KEEP THE FAITH
Big Wavy – no apology needed, I was just saying when I saw the quote I thought the same as you. If a manager is not going to Spurs, come out and say it in unequivocal terms. Kill the story dead and focus on the final.
Many fans have been going back through Ange’s quotes about building for the future, how he would never undermine Celtic, how we would be back stronger next season, how we still had room to improve, how this was just the start of the journey etc etc.
Some are still sure he is about to reveal he is staying on a longer contract.
As we all know, other managers have turned Spurs down for their own good reasons. Ange could have too but this EPL opportunity might be the only one he gets. That will not be the case for the likes of Luis Enrique.
My reading of it is Ange is a very shrewd man who is married to the job rather than the club. He gives it 100% while in situ but is no more attached to us than he was Marineros or Melbourne. You will hear all the same stuff from him once he is in charge of Spurs.
Right now, I wonder what Reo, Kyogo, Oh, Daizen and Iwata are thinking. Must be really gutted, unless of course 1-2 of them are expecting to follow him. Reo and Kyogo being the obvious ones.
CHAIRBHOY on 1ST JUNE 2023 1:19 PM
I’ve been quite happy with the motor over the last two seasons.
Telegraph reporting Marco Silva for the Spurs gig.
Thank you again to the Bhoys for their kind words.
HH
Just like the players, managers are mercenaries and will move on to the next big payday or glory opportunity. It’s disappointing for us but who wouldn’t do the same?
We’ll have more of this ahead of us.
I wasn’t really all that bothered about Ange to Spurs speculation, until I read the lead article, I assume (although he has never claimed it, that Paul 67 is in the know or at least has people within Celtic who tell him, it looks like Ange has gone. Am I sorry? Yes but like all managers, even Willie Maley, they move on eventually. If it is it true that he his gone after the cup final I do hope there is a process and not a make a hash of the new appointment or he’s not just under our noses all along?
The above is of course with the caveat that Ange, Celtic and Spurs have said nothing.
CELTIC40ME @ 1:28 PM,
Ok, so let’s exam this process…
Tony Mowbray takes over as Manager
Fails
Lenny is promoted from within as caretaker
After doing better than expected he gets the hump when his high value players are sold and leaves
Lenny is replaced by his new Coach, Ronny does as well as can be expected but ultimately fails
The top honcho takes over “the process”, he engages an executive recruitment agency to head hunt Brendan Rodgers into the organisation
BR falls out with the CEO and leaves
He is replaced by Lenny in his second caretaker role, Lenny gets the job on a permanent basis as Celtic aim for a historic ten in a row and the CEO is paid 3.5mn
Lenny ultimately crashes and burns, most are not surprised, he refuses to be mutualled and is sacked
John Kennedy takes over as caretaker but can’t improve things
Meanwhile the Board are talking to Eddie Howe, a highly regarded manager whose redline is his backroom staff
The Board fail to recruit the backroom staff as “they won’t come to Glasgow”
By a serendipitous turn of events Ange Postecoglou’s potential AEK deal falls through, while Eddie Howe was saysing no
Ange comes to Celtic and exceeds expectations
Eddie and the boys go to Newcastle
The Celtic Board fail to build on there good fortune at getting AP, by being unable to secure him on a long term deal
Celtic are currently trying to tie AP down to a long term contract while affluent suitors circle
Can anyone spot the process? Can anyone trust the process
If there is a process and I’m not at sure there is, it means John Kennedy or Neil Lennon will pick up the reigns while the Board scratch their heads
Hail Hail
Big Jimmy – great that you and Big Jimmy snr got to meet again, chat and laugh. Hope you have more such opportunities in the coming weeks.
HH
Big Jimmy.
That was a lovely post earlier..
Keep it lit.
☘☘HH.
DENIABHOY
Bad enough punting Ange off to Spurs but do you need to push some of our key players out the door with him?
Seriously, sometimes I despair of some of our supporters in a build up to a cup final and a possible record-breaking treble.
Like SAINT STIVS — I’ll come back Saturday morning.
Deniabhoy
“As far as any statement not being made so as not to undermine the team before the Final, seriously? That horse has long since bolted. All of the players watch Sky Sports News, see the papers and hear the radio. They are going to work every day this week wondering if the manager will still be there come Monday morning. All of their friends and family will be asking the same question.”
————————————
Stone cold serious.
You are looking for a statement that Ange is staying. What if he’s not?- should we still announce that? What if it’s undecided- do we announce that? It only makes sense to announce if Ange is staying otherwise the gossip, informed or otherwise goes on. On this site we have people telling us someone in the know says he’s staying while others quote informed sources saying the opposite. Sometimes, the informed are speculating too. So what would it stop?
Did Ange tell us he was staying when there was speculation that Wolves were coming for him, or when Everton were needing someone? or Leeds (2x). Chelsea(2x), Bournemouth, Brighton, Villa, Southampton(2x) and Leicester.
Speculation on Ange for most of these jobs appeared in the media and on Celtic sites throughout the season. There are two drivers for this. For the media, it is a desire to undermine Celtic; for us it is anxiety that we are losing a good manager and that the next one will be someone we are not impressed by – exactly the reaction most of us gave to Ange when he arrived.
If we issued statements every time Ange was linked to a job in the press we would have won the Statement Cup and deprived Ibrox of one of their few trophies won this season.
Honestly, why announce anything if he’s not staying. Who benefits?
As for the players. If they “know” that he’s going, and I’d be surprised if he’s told them, then they have to do what they did when the speculation was there about Wolves, Leeds, Everton etc; And they are grown up boys who should be able to cope.
There is an unproven theory that the old Rangers lost their 10iar bid cos they knew Walter was retiring but it was still a damn close race. That theory only gained credence when it became a reality i.e. we made it fit the fact. If George O’Boyle had scored and further disaster happened, the theory would have been instantly changed to “we won it as a retirement present for old Walter”.
We’ll find out soon enough who our current or next boss is. I’ll celebrate a win either way and I’ll hope that we don’t employ MON or Moyes as we’ll have to do a complete team re-build cos they can’t play Angeball.
He will be using the speculation to get himself a better deal at Celtic, that’s what usually happens if someone stays with a club
That liar Ange is telling us the team is not distracted by the Tottenham speculation but we know better- ICT price is shortening and they’ll soon be odds on.
Congrats on your reunion with your Da, Jimmy.
It is a blessing for both of you
Easyjet have just cancelled my flight back to Belfast on Sunday 4 June. Any other Bhoys going back to the North after the game? Are you aware of this? Carpoak booked etc. Oh well, just Celtic fans.
Tom – How am I pushing anyone out the door? It concerns me that it could happen. Ange has form for going back to his previous club for players, no? Iwata and Maeda both played for him in Japan. Kyogo is his crown jewel.
If he takes the Spurs gig and thinks any of them would improve the team do you not think he will move for them?
Bada
If Celtic hasn’t been approached by spurs then nothing to bargain with – if they have then he’s off
Trust the process? Aye, the process that cost us the ten.
The board got lucky with Ange, wonder what quality candidates they would have lined up should he go.
Hampden showers anyone?
CHAIRBHOY on 1ST JUNE 2023 1:43 PM
Thanks for the history lesson, forgive me for not reading it. I don’t place as much importance as you do on events from 15 years ago. I think what’s happening here and now is more important but each to their ow
Two years ago we appointed Ange from absolutely nowhere, he did an incredible job considering what he inherited. It was the most inspired signing given the circumstances since Henrik Larrson. To say he leaves us in a better place than he found us is the understatement of the year. And that he goes to Spurs, not Leicester City, or Aston Villa also tells its own story
He’s an exceptional Celtic manager. Credit needs to be given to the people who appointed him, the same people who are at Celtic and will appoint the new manager. Which is a positive
Ange now 4/9…..25/1..3 weeks ago, 11/4..Monday
7/4 yesterday…..8/11…this morning
So it looks like these negotiations are going on
But things can break down, unfortunately I doubt this will be the case…..maybe we should look on this as an opportunity ….just get it right celtic
setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox on 1st June 2023 1:53 pm
Congrats on your reunion with your Da, Jimmy.
It is a blessing for both of you
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Agree.
HH
Sitting at Bristol airport waiting on my flight up .
Collect final ticket tomorrow .
Just reading the blog .
Very disappointed if Ange leaves .
Doubt its even an “ If” now
Who can blame him tbh
£15m+ per year and no more plastic pitches or hun refs
Best wishes to the big guy , if he goes
Roll on Saturday
HH
I can see where spurs fans are coming from -in their view – the spfl is a Mickey mouse league with a 2 horse race. Other experience is with minor foreign leagues.
They’d rather have a big name failure.
CELTIC40ME @ 2:02 PM,
It has been a great two years UCL appart, but Ange gets a bye on that, as you say from what he inherited to what his legacy maybe, he gets a big thank you.
Yet we are asked to trust the procesell Ange was “in the file”, when we appointed Lenny, Ange was “in the file”, when we sacked Lenny, Ange was “in the file” when we were in negotiations for Eddie Howe
Ange was only approached as surreptitious events, sliding doors as Ange called them, took place. DD admitted he’d never heard of Ange before the day he spoke to him
That is not a process and fholk should not be insulting our intelligence by telling us there is one.
We fly by the seat of our pants, sometimes we get it right, sometimes we get it wrong…
We have a new CEO this time around who has the backing of DD we are told
So let’s be opTIMistic and say if Ange does go we’ll get it right this time and build on AP’s legacy.
Hail Hail