Ange Postecoglou has revealed that Celtic are on the verge of making a new signing before Christmas as he branded Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin lazy for lumping his team and Rangers together as ‘one entity’.
Postecoglou confirmed that he has received no offers for Croatia World Cup star Josip Juranovic despite suggestions that Barcelona are leading the chase for the right back’s signature And he revealed that a new signing may be on the way into Parkhead in time for Christmas - with South Korean striker Cho Gue-sung believed to be at the top of his wish list.
The Aussie hinted it could be wrapped up before CEO Michael Nicholson and finance director Chris McKay take a festive break. He said: “We’re getting pretty close now. I know Michael and Chris want to spend some time with their families at Christmas. We’re working on things. There are still a couple that we are kind of investigating at the moment. We will see how things transpire over the next week or so. We’re not even into January yet so there is still a bit of time.”
The exasperated Parkhead boss also hit out after hearing Goodwin’s explanation for his side’s ultra-defensive game plan at Pittodrie on Saturday, when the champions bagged a late 1-0 win.
While he accepts the Dons boss has every right to deploy his own tactical approach, Postecuglou was left prickling over the reasoning behind it. And he insists it’s disrespectful for rival managers and players to bundle his side and the Ibrox men into one generic term.
He said: “Every manager has to put out his team in a way he thinks best to get a result. What I do have an issue with is this generic analysis that we have. When I hear opposition managers and players talking about ourselves and Rangers as if we are one entity, that when you ‘play the top two’ this is what happens. I don’t understand it.
“We are totally different teams. We have different set-ups, different types of players, different strengths.
“Having one as a reference point for the other, that’s the bit I don’t get. Even the press ask questions in that manner. It just bemuses me.
“But a lot of it is really generic. We are selling the football public short because there should be nuances in there. There are differences in there. It is a little bit lazy when people just refer to teams as a group rather than individual entities.
“That’s the beauty of the game. You can play it in different ways.
“I have no issue with Jim setting up his team the way he did because he thought that was the best way for him to get a result. I’m hoping he analysed us and he thought this was the best outcome.
“The issue I had was that his reference point was that he said his tactics against Rangers didn’t work. What’s it got to do with us?”
Postecoglou - who faces a visit from Livingston tonight - added: “I hear opposition coaches and opposition players before we play them and they can’t seem to differentiate between us and Rangers at all.
“It’s almost like, ‘When you play the top two, this is what happens’.
“Some of them even talk about it like it’s an excursion - you go through Glasgow and this is what you expect.
“I don’t get that because if I refer to all the other teams apart from Rangers as ‘the other ten’ and say, ‘When we play the other ten this is what happens’, then I’m not paying respect to the fact that Livingston are going to be a different challenge tomorrow to St Johnstone on the weekend.
“We approach every game like It's like a jumps race in racing. You respect every hurdle.
“Just because you’re a few lengths in front, you don’t look around and not worry about the next one.”
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