CELTIC celebrated a 2-1 League Cup victory over Ibrox opposition at Hampden exactly a year ago today.
The first piece of silverware of the season was claimed after Kyogo Furuhashi had fired a double behind Allan McGregor as Ange Postecoglou picked up his third honour in his short reign as Hoops manager.
The previous season had seen the Greek-Australian gaffer, who had been appointed in June 2021 after the departure of Neil Lennon, clinch an unforgettable Premiership title and the League Cup.
There seemed no stopping him as he eyed a clean sweep of domestic honours during his second crusade.
A look back to this time last year makes some interesting reading.
Here is CQN‘s bulletin on the day.
PORTRAIT OF A WINNER…a delighted Ange Postecoglou celebrates with the Celtic fans after the League Cup triumph at Hampden.
ANGE POSTECOGLOU insists he wants to leave his mark on Celtic and promised he would not “jump at anything that comes my way”.
The Greek-Australian gaffer has been in charge of the Hoops for just over 20 months and has been an absolute phenomenon.
Postecoglou has hurtled through Parkhead with the force of a hurricane as he completedly turned things around in extraordinary fashion.
The former Australia World Cup manager won his third trophy at the weekend when two goals from Kyogo Furuhashi delivered his second successive League Cup.
The tenth Premiership crown in 11 seasons was also claimed which was an astounding somersault from the previous wretched campaign. Postecoglou’s men lifted the championship with four points to spare after limping in the previous year an inconceivable 25 points adrift as the bid for a historic tenth successive flag ended in carnage.
SMILES BETTER…Ange Postecoglou holds aloft the newly-won silverware.
It’s obvious such breathtaking achievements will be noticed by CEOs elsewhere and the Celtic boss has already been linked with several jobs across the border, including Leeds United, Everton, Wolves, Southampton and Brighton.
Envious glances will continue to be trained on the east end of Glasgow as results stack up and silverware pours in. The 57-year-old team chief is in no rush to say farewell just yet.
Postecoglou said: “When people say ‘he’s going to go down the road or somewhere else with the first offer he gets’, it’s not how I’m wired, it’s not how I think.
“For me, what it’s about is just trying to leave a mark wherever I am. I have done that with every football club I have been at. I want to do that at this football club and that is all that consumes me.
PRIZE GUY…Ange Postecoglou expresses his joy at the final whistle.
“I don’t think about the next step or I need to go somewhere else or I need to do this or I need to consider other things.
“You don’t go through life oblivious to it. It is not healthy to put the blinkers up and not know what is going on because that tests your desire to keep doing what you’re doing.
“If people are talking about my future or are interested in my future I will sit there and listen.
“But it doesn’t mean I am going to jump at anything that comes my way. I am really passionate about what I do and the people close to me know what is most important to me, what drives me and what keeps me sort of happy in my role. I couldn’t be happier.”
Postecoglou, speaking to The Herald, added: “I am still here even though people have been getting me out the door. I am hoping that over the course of time as long as I’m here, and I think you will be surprised how long I am here, I am just be consumed by what I do.
“That is to try to make this football club the best it can be and enjoy every minute of it.
THAT’S MY BHOYS…Ange Postecoglou congratulates Liel Abada and Matt O’Riley.
“Mate, the world of management, I am too old to be kidded on by anybody. Things change very quickly.
“How many managers last three years in their roles these days? You have either got to have extraordinary success or in rare circumstances, a club sticks by you. Apart from that, everyone doesn’t last that long.
“I am going into my third year next year and I am going to keep doing what I am doing and not really worry about what other people see.
“Because I’ll tell you what the first thing people will say is I am not ambitious enough because I am not moving on.”
