ANGE POSTECOGLOU has the opportunity in his debut season to join Celtic managerial greats Jock Stein, Martin O’Neill, Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon.
Only four team bosses in the history of the club have ever achieved the domestic silverware clean sweep – and the Greek-Australian is aiming to join the elite quartet.
Stein and Rodgers have both managed the feat twice – Big Jock in 1966/67 and 1968/69 and the Northern Irishman in 2016/17 and 2017/18.
Martin O’Neill guided the team to the hat-trick in his first campaign in 2000/01 while Lennon brought in the elusive trio in the Covid-enforced prolonged campaign of 2019/20.
Fifty-six-year-old Postecoglou is now preparing his players for tomorrow night’s Scottish Cup quarter-final against Dundee United at Tannadice while his team sit at the top of the Premiership with a three-point advantage with eight games to play.
DREAMLAND…Ange Postecoglou celebrates at full-time in the 1-0 Premier Sports League Cup semi-final win over St Johnstone on November 20 2021.
However, the manager admitted he is not even thinking about adding the league title and the national competition to the Premier Sports League Cup which was won in thrilling circumstances six days before Christmas when a double from Kyogo Furuhashi completed a dtramatic comeback after Hibs had taken the lead shortly after the turnaround.
The Hoops gaffer said: “Do we have a spring in our step right now? I’d hate to think there would ever be a stage in this cycle when we don’t.
“We’ve still got to challenge whatever is in front of us.
“But the players have been good at maintaining focus. We haven’t fallen down in the dumps when things haven’t gone our way.
“We haven’t changed our approach and demeanour.
“The reality is the key part of the season is still ahead of us. I don’t think about the treble at this stage.
“We’re performing well in the league, we’re here in a quarter-final of the Cup which is a big challenge on Monday against a good side.
“Cup games always have an edge because you know what a win can mean.
WINNING AND GRINNING…Ange Postecoglou with the glittering prize at the national stadium on December 19 2021.
THREE CHEERS…two-goal marksman Kyogo Furuhashi, manager Ange Postecoglou and skipper Callum McGregor after the 2-1 success over Hibs.
“So we’re looking forward to the challenge and, hopefully, it’s one we can overcome.”
Reflecting on his first trophy victory at the national stadium before the turn of the year, Postecoglou, speaking to the Sunday Mail, added: “I celebrated properly that night – but it will sound pretty boring to what other people have in mind.
“I just had a couple of quiet Scotches to myself and that was the extent of it for me.
“But I wanted to make sure the players celebrated because it was a fantastic day.
“The semi-final and Final at Hampden were sensational for me as Celtic manager. I enjoyed them immensely.
“It was important because it showed people we had made progress. We had a tough beginning to the season in terms of form and results.
“So, winning a trophy in the first half of the season was important as a marker for us.
“We acknowledged it, but also knew we had a game two days later. So, we used it as a good impetus for us.
“We didn’t rest on our laurels and say: ‘Okay, we’ve won a trophy, we are okay for the rest of the year’.
“If anything it whetted the appetite for more.”
