CELTIC aim to stage their very own coronation in Scotland’s capital tomorrow as Ange Postecoglou returns to the ground where he kicked off his Premiership career with defeat.
The Greek-Australian had been in the country just over a month after being named as Neil Lennon’s successor.
Postecoglou quit J-League outfit Yokohama F Marinos to accept the challenge of reviving the fortunes of the fallen Scottish giants who had been spectacularly derailed in their historic quest of ten consecutive titles.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT…Ange Postecoglou can’t bear to look as Celtic lose against Hearts at Tynecastle on his Premiership debut on July 31 2021.
Parkhead was in a shambolic state with the team failing to win silverware for the first time in 11 years. There was also a queue of players desperate to jump ship.
The new gaffer took it all in his stride as he went about the rebuild with a verve and vigour that saw the team transformed in a matter of weeks.
Hopes of a winning start to the league were scuppered at Tynecastle on the evening of Saturday July 31 2021. Postecoglou must have winced as his team practically gifted an early opening goal to former Hoops winger Gary Mackay-Steven, but his frown would have turned upside down when Anthony Ralston netted a spectacular equaliser.
He may have been more than a tad bewildered when what looked like a perfectly good goal from new signing Liel Abada was ruled out and he may have wondered about the free-kick award to the hosts in the fading moments.
It looked as though Ismaila Soro had been bumped in a jostle for possession, but the referee was swift to give the decision the other way. It wouldn’t be the last time an individual by the name of Bobby Madden would puzzle the manager with an inexplicable judgement.
As luck would have it, Michael Smith swung the free-kick into the box and John Souttar rose above Nir Bitton to thump a header beyond the badly-positioned Scott Bain.
Welcome to Scotland, Ange.
PRIZE GUY…Ange Postecoglou holds aloft this season’s League Cup, one of three honours he has already won as Celtic manager.
Since that evening in Edinburgh, Postecoglou has seen his side amass the incredible total of 185 points and score 194 goals in 70 games. Over the same period, the Hoops have won 59 games, drawn eight and lost a mere three.
A trio of domestic honours have already been collected – a Premiership crown and two League Cups.
And here we are today. One win from a second successive title and one victory from a glorious treble.
Fate has decreed Postecoglou is 90 minutes away from Celtic being crowned Scotland’s kings for the 53rd occasion at the very ground where it all went terribly wrong in July 2021.
Back then, Tynecastle doubled as a giant banana skin.
Tomorrow, it could well provide the ideal setting for a football coronation.
It’s no more than Ange Postecoglou deserves.
