ANGE POSTECOGLOU is determined to make sure Celtic do not pay a heavy price for success.
The Hoops manager acknowledges the award-winning form of his players will attract attention from others and the transfer merry-go-round will spin once again during the summer.
Postecoglou accepts that as a challenge to make sure the squad comes out stronger than when it went into the market place.
THUMB’S UP…Ange Postecoglou looks forward with confidence to a fifth transfer window as he aims to strengthen his Celtic squad.
Parkhead fans will have to endure the speculation and reports thank link some of their favourites with a move from the east end of Glasgow – if, of course, all parties are satisfied and the club’s hierarchy believe a bid is acceptable.
The 57-year-old Greek-Australian gaffer is now preparing for his fifth transfer window and his wheeling and dealing so far have brought huge dividends for the club on and off the pitch.
In January, Josip Juranovic and Giorgos Giakoumakis departed the champions and Postecoglou had already earmarked Alistair Johnston to take the Croatian’s place at right-back and most supporters are agreed the Canadian has been an upgrade.
South Korean striker Oh Hyeon-gyu slotted into the Greek’s place and he will undoubtedly be stronger and more settled following his experiences since his arrival from the K-League just four months ago.
OUT…Josip Juranovic joined Bundesliga outfit Union Berlin in January.
IN…Alistair Johnston arrived from MLS outfit CF Montreal.
It’s all about to kick off again and Postecoglou admits some big names could be on their way, but has once again pledged to replace them to make sure no-one can see the join.
The Hoops have already been linked with towering hitman Eduvie Ikoba who has scored 14 goals for Hungarian club Zalaegerszegi this term while Volendam defender Xavier Mbuyamba has also been mentioned.
Postecoglou said: “I think it’s fair to say we are in the second year and things are embedded, that includes the core playing group. But that also gives you the opportunity to grow as a team.
“Part of that challenge will be the more success you have the more likely it will be that some of your players will move on.
“They get the attention of other clubs. We have to be ready to fill those gaps with players who have the ability to take us to another level altogether. So, there is always those challenges there.
“Another year you get to the point where there is any great certainty about the team we are finishing with and the team we will be starting the new season with.
“You always go into any window that there is going to be some uncertainty. I think we are going really well.”
OUT…Giorgos Giakoumakis moved to MLS club Atlanta.
IN…Oh Hyeon-gyu joined from K-League side Sowun Bluewing.
The double Premiership Manager of the Year winner In his two seasons at Celtic continued: “Every window we have had so far since I have been here, we have come out stronger in terms of that squad depth or just having a better quality of player than we had going in and that is what we will try and do.
“Look, I’ve always felt it was an important part of my role, particularly with the nature of the task I had. It wasn’t like I was picking up an established or core group of players. It was a team that needed rebuilding.
“I knew our best chance of being successful with that would be if I had a massive influence over who came into the club, both players and staff. I knew what I wanted, I knew what we needed to look like.
“The club were really good in trusting me with that process. We obviously had success fairly early in terms of our recruiting and I think I gained the trust of people at the club through that.
“Since then, it has worked really well. They have faith the players I identify and bring in are going to enhance our football club.”
FILM STAR…Ange Postecoglou is in the picture as he celebrates Celtic’s second consecutive title with a 2-0 win over Hearts at Tynecastle.
Postecoglou, speaking to the Daily Record, added: “I have always found that every year – and I have obviously been doing this for quite a while – there is always a different challenge.
“Last year, was about building a team, building some belief, building some trust and faith in me and what we were doing and trying within that context to try and have some success after a year where the football club I was representing went trophyless.
“I knew that I couldn’t do another season like that. We had to have success. That was a different mindset.
“This year was more about, well, we have had that success now, people maybe saw it as an unexpected success, but how are the players going to come back, how was I going to push them on to another level I knew we had to go.
“I really felt we couldn’t stand still in terms of our football.”
Stand by for another whirlwind of summer activity for the manager and the team that never stops.
