ANGE POSTECOGLOU adopted a VAR of silence following Celtic’s 2-1 win over Ross County at Parkhead as the champions romped to a nine-point advantage at the Premiership pinnacle.
The normally-receptive Hoops gaffer refused to talk about the Highlanders’ highly-controversial penalty-kick award which gifted them a one-goal advantage five minutes after the interval.
Ropey ref David Munro made the instant judgement that Matt O’Riley had handled the ricochet off Callum Johnson who was standing directly in front of the midfielder. The whistler’s standside assistant kept his flag by his side.
DEATH STARE…a grim Ange Postecoglou fixes fourth official Matthew MacDermid in his sights at the full-time whistle following Celtic’s 2-1 win over Ross County.
Remarkably, VAR official Euan Anderson agreed with his colleague and David Cancola gleefully snapped up the opportunity to put the Highlanders into the lead.
Thankfully, justice was done when the champions came back to get the points with goals from David Turnbull and Sead Haksabanovic.
Postecoglou’s mood was somewhat grim at the full-time whistle following a sequence of questionable decisions from the man in the middle.
Unfortunately, for fourth official Matthew MacDermid, he was in direct line of the Greek-Australian’s gaze as the Hoops boss made his way to the opposition’s dug-out to embrace County chief Malky Mackay and his backroom staff.
There was no disguising Big Ange’s immediate feelings as he shook the hand of the refereeing assistant.
END GAME…Ange Postecoglou embraces Malky Mackay at full-time.
He lightened up a bit to celebrate the team’s 14th victory from 15 league games with the joyous fans as the club continues the march towards the gaffer’s second successive title.
Of course, Postecoglou has already been caught on camera delivering a death stare to Josip Juranovic in a moment of hilarity after Celtic clinched the championship at Tannadice on May 10 this season, as CQN reported last month.
The Hoops secured a 1-1 draw against Dundee United – with Giorgos Giakoumakis claiming the goal – to clinch their tenth title in 11 years.
Postecoglou addressed his players in the dressing room afterwards in previously unseen footage now revealed in the club’s ‘We.Never.Stop.’ DVD.
The draw meant the Hoops could even afford to lose to Motherwell in the final game of the season four days later and still clinch the flag, but the boss was obviously in the mood to do things in style and told the players they would be in for training the following day.
SERIOUS BUSINESS…Ange Postecoglou is thoughtful as Ross County are awarded a controversial penalty-kick.
STAR GAZER…Ange Postecoglou responds to a remark from Josip Juranovic.
That brought a hilarious response from Croatian international defender Juranovic who asked cheekily: “Off tomorrow?”
The manager turned round to fix the right-back in his gaze.
Playing to the gallery, Juranovic repeated his question.
It all ended in smiles and, of course, Celtic did lift the crown in a certain amount of style against the Fir Park visitors when they won 6-0 with Kyogo Furuhashi (2), Giakoumakis (2), David Turnbull and Filipe Jota.
The message, though, is clear – it’s best to avoid the Ange Postecoglou death stare!