Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Ewan Paton

Ange Postecoglou's sharp Celtic response to Tottenham poser

Ange Postecoglou offered a spikey response to one reporter when addressing the links between himself and the vacant Tottenham job today.

The Celtic boss spoke of the speculation surrounding his future as he previewed this weekend's Scottish Cup final clash against Inverness.

The 57-year-old had fielded around three or four questions regarding the hot topic and played it cool as he insisted his full focus is on securing the treble for Celtic on Saturday.

But a journalist was met with a sharp response as he asked Postecoglou to provide the fans with some reassurance over his role as the club's manager.

He said: "Yeah, so you've just ignored every other question that's been said today and you're trying a different way. Good on you, well done."

He continued: "Again, our supporters want to roll up on cup day and celebrate to make sure it's a special day. 

"Anything I say now will mean absolutely zero if we don't win on Saturday, I can tell you that. So, that's where my focus lies because that's my responsibility. 

"That won't change. I've been pretty clear on that and I'll continue to be pretty clear on that. It's a massive role to be manager of this football club. For me to be dismissive of potentially our biggest game of the year just isn't going to happen."

Earlier in the conference, the Australian was asked about the job links directly. 

And while he understands that speculation is part and parcel of football, he insists that he's dealt with it before this season and can handle it again.

He said: "Somebody else was favourite last week. It doesn't register.

"I get all the interest and why people love to speculate on these things. We have worked really, really hard to get ourselves into this position.

"For me, to let my mind wander to anything else other than getting our team prepared for a big day on Saturday is just not who I am.

"You make it sound like it is the first time it has happened to me. We've done this dance a few times this year. The players are well aware of where my thoughts lie.

"You're not invested in this football club like I am, my players are, the supporters are. For me, I woke up this morning thinking about one thing, the same thing I have been thinking about for the last seven days; really wanting to make sure we play well in this cup final and make it a truly special season.

"I know this football club has had a lot of success recently including trebles, in the history of time they aren't too many that can claim to that, not just for myself but for this football club and some of these players. It might be the only one they get so we need to really focus on that."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.