Celtic fans were gutted when Ange Postecoglou left the club last summer to take the gig at Tottenham Hotspur.
Given that it was the Premier League calling, it was understandable that Postecoglou left and what is now Tottenham’s gain has become Celtic‘s loss because ‘big Ange’ was a very popular man in Glasgow.
From the style of football Celtic played, to how he lifted the club back to trophy-winning normality given the mess he had walked into.
To many people’s surprise, Brendan Rodgers returned to Celtic – a Treble-winning team – and proceeded to retain the Scottish Premiership title and win a dramatic Scottish Cup final against Rangers.
The style of football on display left more questions than answers, but this was Rodgers trying to find his feet again because this season Celtic have been scintillating to watch.
Yes, Celtic’s humiliating 7-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday night has put a dampener on things, but the overall picture of the start of this new campaign shouldn’t be forgotten.
Before a ball was kicked in Germany, Jamie Carragher analysed Celtic’s style of play and he lauded what the team have been doing during these opening few months.
The former centre-back knows what Rodgers is like on a weekly basis and what he demands from his players because they worked together at Liverpool.
Carragher touched upon Celtic’s movement in the final third, speed of play, a player like Kyogo Furuhashi being his ‘superstar’ and how he wants the game to be ‘technical’, as he told CBS Sports on Paramount+ (01/10/24 at 7:20 pm).
But the 2005 Champions League winner claimed that Rodgers should say ‘a big thank you’ to Postecoglou because he unearthed players like Kyogo and Reo Hatate, who are thriving in his system.
Celtic’s style of play from Ange Postecoglou to Brendan Rodgers
“The speed in which they play at and the physicality you need at the top level, especially Engels in what he gives them,” said Carragher. “He makes that run (from deep into the box) and you don’t often see that from midfield players anymore.
“But Kyogo is the superstar, there is interchange, one going near post, one going far post and because there is movement in the box, if that ball comes back here, here or here, then it’s a tap-in for one of the players. Hatate, he isn’t playing tonight, but actually look at the movement here. Constantly looking over his shoulder and then there are runners off him again. When you talk about that speed and physicality, Brendan Rodgers wants a technical game. That’s the type of manager he is, I know what he is like. He wants runners and he wants energy.
“As Thierry (Henry) said there, he should be saying a big thank you to Ange Postecoglou for bringing these talents in.
Celtic in the Champions League under Brendan Rodgers
Getting hit for sixes and sevens time and time again isn’t pleasant. It doesn’t help Rodgers either because he is always in the dugout.
The new Champions League format is going to help Celtic in the long run, but Rodgers needs to learn to adapt his style in very difficult away games against the top teams.
Fighting fire with fire results in only one outcome and it will continue if the manager doesn’t get out of his stubborn ways.
The positive thing is that the team already have a win on the board in Europe and are smashing it in the Premiership, but the pressure will only mount after the international break.
