ANGE POSTECOGLOU is preparing for tomorrow afternoon’s League Cup opener against Hearts at Parkhead on the back of three successive wins.
The players have rallied since toppling out of the Champions League to FC Midtjylland – thumped 4-0 by PSV Eindhoven at the next stage – and losing to a late John Souttar goal at Tynecastle to kick off the Premiership challenge with a defeat at Tynecastle.
However, the Greek-Australian boss has seen his team fire in 13 goals in three games with eight players getting on the scoresheet.
Japanese frontman Kyogo Furuhashi is leading the way four after strikes against Jablonec in the Czech Republic and a dazzling hat-trick against Dundee in the 6-0 romp last weekend.
James Forrest and David Turnbull have notched two while Anthony Ralston, Liel Abada, Ryan Christie, Tom Rogic and Odsonne Edouard have chipped in with one apiece.
So, the Parkhead side are in a different place than the earlier meeting against Robbie Neilson’s men for tomorrow’s confrontation in the east end of Glasgow.
Looking forward to the match, Postecoglou said: “It will be different. Cup games, by their nature, are different. They tend to have more of an edge, knowing the result is so crucial.
“We’re at home in front of a big crowd again, which will be great, and I think we’ve improved since last time.
“It was a good game at Tynecastle and we were competitive for long spells. We weren’t really threatening Hearts enough and they did a good job of shutting us down. Our job is to turn the possession in to more of a threat this time.”
Postecoglou, speaking to the Glasgow Times, added: “I don’t put down markers because sometimes they can be false in a positive and negative sense. I just want us to keep developing.
“That day I think Carl Starflet had hardly had a session, Kyogo Furuhashi was only with us at the hotel and a couple of the other boys had not had a great pre-season, so, yeah, we are a bit further down the track and our football has improved a little bit.
“But that’s not to say it is going to be any easier a game for us or a game where we can just naturally dominate. We’ve got to work hard.
“Hearts are a good side and it will be a good challenge for us.”
