End of a great Celtic team

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The treble was won on Saturday with a bit more anxiety than many of us anticipated.  Just as we discussed and hoped for last week, Kyogo was the man of the moment again.  Celtic have played in three cup finals when Ange Postecoglou has been in charge, the opener on Saturday was the fifth goal scored by the club in that time and the fifth by Kyogo.  The player is an inextricably linked to his manager’s success as Henrik Larsson was to Martin O’Neill’s.

I can scarcely remember a more effective winger than Liel Abada, certainly not for someone still only 21.  He ghosted into the box, then timed his forward run perfectly to latch onto Callum McGregor’s cross, giving Celtic an unassailable lead.  His added-time cross for Jota to complete the scoring was a piece of craft that largely went missing for Celtic during the final.

Inverness were miles out of their depth but defended well and on 84 minutes scored the best goal of the game.  A diving header is always easy on the eye, even when it hits the back of your own net.  It was never going to be, for the Highlanders.

We will look back on that final, on this last month, as a time when a great Celtic team emptied its tank.  Whether or not this is linked to off-field events is moot, a refresh is needed if these incredibly high standards are to endure.

It was painful listening to Ange duck questions on his future after the game.  In doing so, he answered, nonetheless.  We’ll talk more at the appropriate moment, in the meantime, as Bill wrote, ‘If it were done…., then ‘t were well it were done quickly.’

Let’s get on with it.

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410 Comments

  1. BIG WAVY on 6TH JUNE 2023 10:38 AM

     

     

     

    Thanks for that.

     

    I would hope that that response might help many of us to accept Ange`s departure and look forward, like Calmac and the team, to getting behind our team and our new Manager.

     

    Thanks again for the link.

  2. Por Cierto

     

    Philbhoy

     

    Leftclicktic

     

     

    Thanks :)

     

     

    Just an occasional lurker now, too busy golfing ;)

     

     

    hh

  3. Hot Smoked,

     

     

    We got lucky with Ange. Chased only Eddie Howe. He dinged us and only through Mark Lawell did we phone up the big Aussie. He was not in any process. It was a shambles. We had Lennon in the showers, the assistant to Roy Keane – Ronnie – became the only one who’d take the job. Rodgers a golf buddy.

     

     

    My point being – we’ve been lucky. We look chaotic (maybe lots of clubs are) and you can’t rule out that we run out of luck.

     

     

    Just a thought.

     

     

    HH

  4. Well that’s official Ange on a Four year contract at Spurs ,, Celtic need to step up for a new coach asap.

  5. I think it is interesting that not a single SPFL coach has been mooted as the next manager. To be fair, a few of them are quite young

  6. Hopefully breaking (good) news for us soon.

     

     

    Well my neighbourhood huns have started talking to me again (they don’t like me celebrating) with the news that Ange has gone and the imminent arrival of Butland and an mls superstar (can’t remember his name, equadorian I think) and one or two others.

     

     

    So I’m going to burn all my tops and go into hiding as we should be scared of this apparent resurgence under Beale……..

     

     

    They never fkn learn do they!!!

  7. My friends in Celtic,

     

     

    Really surprised that Spurs have offered any manager a four year deal.

     

    Of course we know the implications and doesn’t guarantee Ange will be there for four years.

     

    Nevertheless it is a signal of how much they rate our former manager.

     

     

    Personally I wish Ange and his family well and I hope he will bring success to TH.

     

     

    However after walking the walk , completely buying into the journey, wondering what players he had lined up and embracing the tour of Japan, I feel gutted.

     

     

    Doubt , sincerity and scepticism will be the legacy of what future managers tell us..

     

     

    And I feel sad typing that.

     

     

    HH.

  8. GlassTwoThirdsFull on

    Big Wavy 10:37

     

    That’s always the concern.

     

    I noticed Moyes had moved top of the bookies’ favourite. Maybe nothing in it but it made me recall Paul doing a couple of “drip, drip” type articles a while back about how the focus should be on Europe (this after years of banging on about the importance of domestic success) and that we would have to change to a more defensive style (which was never going to happen under Ange).

     

    A “softening up” or just complete coincidence?

     

    Time will tell I guess…..

  9. I’m surprised that John Kennedy has gone too. It’s surely a bit of a risk to give up his ‘job for life’ at Celtic to a potentially short-lived dead end at Spurs. Perhaps the money was too good to turn down, even if it ends prematurely.

  10. GLASSTWOTHIRDSFULL on 6TH JUNE 2023 11:28 AM

     

     

    Our wee team would be completely dismantled to make way for Moyes’s muscle men.

     

     

    Seen this morning that he was tipped to stay next season at West Ham. Good chance he’ll win them a Euro trophy tomorrow.

     

     

    Patterns suggest we will chase Potter for months before being blown out and then make a call via Lawell Jnr to Maresca, who would be……..mmmmmm…….an interesting choice with no mangerial pedigree.

     

     

    HH

  11. Moving on time. Hopefully, we’re down the road a considerable way with our new manager/head coach.

     

     

    Though, I wonder if there will be a DoF before a decision. If there is then he’ll come first. That was the plan prior to our last appointment, what was his name again? :))

     

     

    por cierto

  12. POR CIERTO on 6TH JUNE 2023 11:42 AM

     

     

    Fergal Harkin. Now at Standard Liege.

     

     

    HH

  13. As we are straight into the CL Groups; we will not be looking at a young manager IMO.

     

     

    Has to be someone who has checked lots of boxes in their career, bar the CL

  14. The reality is that Ange was too successful. This begs the question, should we hope that our next manager is less so and no-one else comes looking him?

  15. Bhoy From The Boyne on

    SCULLYBHOY on 6TH JUNE 2023 11:52 AM

     

    The reality is that Ange was too successful. This begs the question, should we hope that our next manager is less so and no-one else comes looking him?

     

     

    —————

     

     

    It was a unique set of circumstances that lead to Ange leaving. The ex Man City Asia guy Scott Munn joining Spurs. His relationship with Ange and his agent. Knock backs from other managers and yes Ange’s success at Celtic.

  16. Thanks for two great years, Ange.

     

     

    Hopefully our next gaffer won’t come out with guff like ‘so long as Celtic want me, I’ll be around’.

  17. Gutted about Ange as he did a tremendous job for us.

     

    Can’t help but feel conned … again!

     

    We move on and for me Potter would be a great appointment.

  18. Bhoy From The Boyne on

    ‘The reality is there are players in that dressing room that won’t be here next season’ – Ange only last Saturday.

     

     

    Who was he referring to and was he thinking of who he will bring with him?

     

     

    Kyogo (Spurs) , Hatate (Brentford) Matt O’Reilly (Newcastle) ????

     

     

    Shudders….

  19. AN DÚN on 6TH JUNE 2023 12:00 PM

     

    Thanks for two great years, Ange.

     

    Hopefully our next gaffer won’t come out with guff like ‘so long as Celtic want me, I’ll be around’.

     

     

    —-

     

     

    But he will. It will have his own twist. It will ‘roar’, be ‘deep down inside’ or ‘never stop’, but they’ll tap into our terrific supports natural warmth & play it back. They will always do what’s best for them ultimately, which means a move to the EPL. Enjoy them whilst they are with us, hopefully bringing success, but it’s purely theatre + business at the end of their day for them.

     

     

    HH

  20. Tom McLaughlin on

    SCULLYBHOY

     

    The reality is that Ange was too successful. This begs the question, should we hope that our next manager is less so and no-one else comes looking him?

     

     

    Holy christ. I’ve heard everything now.

  21. I’m struggling to think of a departing manger who took a valuable asset off us when they left.

     

     

    Lots of worry that Rodgers would take Callum I recall.

     

     

    Ange’s transfer target will now be players half our annual income.

     

     

    HH

  22. Lets be honest, most of us would have packed Kennedy and Stachan’s cases not so long ago if we thought we could get rid of them. The main danger for our Japanese contingent is that they know they will be looked at more closely by the international manager if they are in the EPL. Being truthful, I could see the Japanese experiment disappearing sooner rather than later. I might punt on Kjetil Knutsen for the next manager. He has managed to do what we want to do in Europe with Bodo/Glimt and will know the Scandinavian market. It’s just time to get used to managerial movement. I don’t think we’ll see anyone hanging around too long in the short to medium term, bad ones will get punted, good ones will move up.

  23. Tom McLaughlin on

    Some supporters criticising Ange for past comments declaring his love for the club and the fans.

     

     

    To be fair, he surely never thought a top 6 EPL club would come in for him. If you’re a manager celebrating a league win with the support, do you say — I better not do this because a huge club might take me away.

     

     

    Of course not.

     

     

    Cut the guy some slack.

  24. Tom,

     

     

    He and his agent have been at it behind the scenes for months. He should get it in the neck for some fork tongue nonsense but it’s industry standard fare. The next guy will do it.

     

     

    I just get surprised when others’ get surprised. These guys are professionals who care little for our concerns at the end of the day.

     

     

    Enjoy them when they re here. CGAF when they leave.

     

     

    HH

  25. quadrophenian on

    That war and peace club statement is a bit of a riddy; like a love note from a jilted lover.

     

     

    Mike Nicholson: “Of course, we wanted Ange to stay with us at Celtic and while there is real disappointment that we are losing him, he has decided he wants to look at a new challenge, which we respect…”

     

     

    It’s not about a new challenge: It’s about him making huge money in the biggest football league on the planet.

     

     

    A real challenge is to get some of the 22-odd players you had our club invest in to fit your game plan, to put together a respectable and accomplished run to the final stages of a Euro Cup; that’s a big challenge in itself if it’s only football you’re talking about.

     

     

    Spurs is a challenge with otherworldly, personal financial rewards whether he wins, loses or draws.

     

     

    Totally charismatic. Ultimately predictable.

     

     

    Oo roo, mate.

  26. June 2022: “I’ll be here as long as the Club want me”

     

     

    February 2023: “You’ll be surprised by how long I’m here”

     

     

    June 2023: rejects Club offer, leaves.

     

     

    We get it. Just STFU along the way. No smoke needed blown up our arses.

     

     

     

    HH

  27. When we were waiting for an answer from Howe the problem was “his” backroom team, wonder how John Kennedy and Gavin Strachan felt then? So, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them both leave to join a guy who kept them in a job when it looked like the club wasn’t. por cierto