ANGE POSTECOGLOU admits the buck stops with him if things don’t go according to plan at Celtic.
The Greek-Australian took over a Neil Lennon’s long-term successor in June and a dozen recruits were brought to Parkhead in a whirlwind of pre-season transfer activity which has continued into this month with another four new Bhoys being added to the manager’s revamped squad.
Postecoglou thanked the Hoops hierarchy for their full support, but acknowledged he has the responsibility to put the jigsaw together on and off the park.
The gaffer has been preparing for the Premiership restart against Hibs at Parkhead on Monday evening when a capacity crowd could get their first glimpse of Japanese trio Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi, but the occasion will come too early for 18-year-old Irish striker Johnny Kenny who arrived from Sligo Rovers last weekend.
FAR EASTERN PROMISE…Celtic’s Japanese new Bhoys Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Yosuke Ideguchi.
Postecoglou admitted: “It’s fair to say I’m a bit old school.
“When I started, I was pretty much doing everything, but, 25 years ago, I guess most managers were doing the same.
“I guess it’s just my nature, I like to have control of things that I’m going to be responsible for and I’ve worked that way through my whole career.
“I didn’t explicitly say that was the way I wanted to work, but I kind of guessed the club were well aware of me and what strengths I have.
“They wouldn’t have brought me in if they didn’t think I would fit into what they wanted to do here.
“I am a person who likes to take control because I’m going to be responsible for it.
“There won’t be anyone else sitting front and centre if things don’t go well here. If things do go well, we all share in the success.
BACK IN THE OLD ROUTINE…Ange Postecoglou at Lennoxtown during the week.
“But if they don’t go well, people won’t have to go far to find out where the buck stops. It stops with me.
“That’s the case and that’s the way I want it to be, I like to have control over a lot of things and share my vision.
“It’s not me working on my own and I don’t want people thinking I’m doing everything here, far from it.
“Obviously, it’s my vision and, from day one, I said the most important thing, coming into the football club on my own, was that people believed in me, not so much what I was going to do.
“If people believe in me as a person, whatever vision I have, they’ll support and it’s been like that so far.”
Postecoglou, who is likely to be without 16-goal Kyogo Furuhashi against the Easter Road men with the pacy frontman is still attempting to overcome a troublesome hamstring, is looking forward to the resumption of action in the east end of Glasgow.
HAMPDEN PRIZE GUY…Ange Postecoglou holds aloft the Premier Sports League Cup after the dramatic 2-1 win over Hibs.
The 56-year-old coach, speaking to the Daily Record, added: “I had been saying for weeks we have been working away and we identified the players we wanted early in this window.
“The club have been very supportive. Michael Nicholson has done a lot of work behind the scenes along with Chris McKay and others at the club.
“I know this was a great opportunity to get some quality players in from a market I know well.
“It’s also a market that would allow us to bring them in for the start of the window. There are not many leagues around that finish at the time to bring them across quite easily.
“We worked in the background and there is always an added danger of hold-ups because of the Covid situation.
“But the great thing for me was we were able to get them in for the first day of training and it was great for them as well.”
