It takes a lot of prodding to make laidback Aussie Ange Postecoglou finally bare his teeth at a Celtic press conference.
But the Celtic boss was riled by what he claims were “disingenuous” questions about his appreciation of the size of the challenge he faced.
The manager insists he’s well versed about the gravity of the job he’s inherited in Glasgow.
And this afternoon he’s aiming to put down a major building block to prove his case.
A Premier Sports Cup Final against Hibs is a chance for him to claim a first piece of silverware that would go a long way to signal his rebuild after a trophyless season under Neil Lennon last time.
But rather than play down the occasion, Postecoglou’s plan is to play it up.
He will ask his players to embrace what could be a momentous occasion in his reign as he prepares for a tale of the unexpected at Hampden today.
Postecoglou said: “It’s a big occasion. There’s no point trying to downplay it. I’ve never felt that’s worked for me with my players and staff, that it’s just another game.
“They will quickly work out when they walk out at Hampden that it’s not just another game.
“It’s a big game and I don’t want them to fear that, I want them to embrace that.
“That’s the way I talk to them, everything’s on the line and we’ve got to be at our best. Don’t shy away from that, embrace that.
“That’s how I’ll prepare the team.
“The one thing I do know about every big game and final I’ve been involved in, and I’ve had success in all but one of them, is that none of them run smoothly.
“Something happens on the day that will test you. There will have to be some sort of brilliance by an individual or the team to overcome the unexpected. We have to be ready for that.”
Any naivety that may come from being a foreigner arriving on these shores has been long since shot down as the Aussie has shown a firm grasp of the demands of his job.
He’s at pains to point out that he’s no apprentice trying to land major honours – his CV is already packed with final appearances.
He said: “In Australia, championships get decided in finals. I won two as a player and four as a manager and they all got decided in a grand final.
“Because of that I have always tried to build teams in a game style that will stack up in big games.
“It sounds a bit bizarre but as that is how things got decided in Australia that is how I still train my teams.
“So when the big game comes along the way we prepare and our football stacks up. Coming into this game hasn’t been any different – the way we train every day, the way we talk, the way we plan is so we are ready for the
big occasion.”
Postecoglou admits he has sympathy for former Hibs boss Jack Ross who was axed after getting his side to the final.
It’s the first time he’s been in a cup final against a side who have just lost a manager but he doesn’t believe it will alter the dynamics of the tie in any way.
He said: “I feel for Jack. Our role is dependent on results. We all know that at some point, if things don’t go well, then potentially we could be removed. But you feel for him when he has got a team to a final but is not there.
“In terms of how we prepare, I don’t think anything changes. We have analysed them. They are the same team – and still dangerous.
“They have real quality up front and showed that in the semi-final. We will have to make sure we
are prepared.”
Martin Boyle’s hat-trick for Hibs in their semi-final win over Rangers didn’t go unnoticed by Postecoglou. He admits getting Celtic playing on the front foot is one ploy to keep the Australian international at bay.
Postecoglou said: “Boyle was outstanding – the whole side were, particularly the first half.
“They took the game to
Rangers and probably surprised them a little bit with their intent and the tempo they played at.
“I know Martin well as he plays for Australia but we have always tried to deal with these threats in a collective sense.
“If we play our football and are dominant, the way we have been, then we’ll limit the opportunities for anyone to cause us problems.
“It will still come down to us controlling the game so that it’s played on our terms.”
