MANAGERIAL casualties continue to mount in the English Premier League, and, within minutes, the mainstream media in Scotland is linking Ange Postecoglou to these vacant posts.
One would think they’re keen to get shot of him. And why wouldn’t they be? Since arriving at Celtic in June 2021, the Australian quickly re-established the Bhoys as Scotland’s dominant force following the previous season’s implosion.
First up this week it was former Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers who got the boot at Leicester.
The Carnlough man arrived at the Foxes in February 2019 after winning all seven domestic trophies available to him during a successful tenure at Parkhead. However, when it became clear that the board didn’t match his spending ambitions, he scurried off down south.
It came as a bit of a surprise to many supporters, especially as Rodgers proclaimed himself as “born into Celtic”. Matters were only compounded when Neil Lennon was announced as his replacement – a clear indication that those in charge were content in setting their sights lower for the club.
But whatever you want to say about Rodgers, he made his mark in Glasgow and should go down as a fantastic manager.
Initially, he brought the Midas touch with him to the King Power Stadium, winning the FA Cup in 2021 and leading Leicester to fifth in the table.
Since then, though, it has all gone pear-shaped, and Saturday’s last-minute defeat at Crystal Palace was the final straw as owners fear relegation could be a real possibility with the side languishing in 19th position.
As of Monday night, Postecoglou was 14/1 with a number of bookmakers to become his replacement, which is a fairly wide price.
The favourite, Graham Potter, was also given the boot this week from his job at Chelsea after less than seven months in charge.
A 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa sounded the death knell for the Englishman who left a cushy gig at Brighton, where he had been granted patience and stability to build his team.
However, Chelsea’s co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have spent over half a billion on new players since last summer and demand instant success. For Ange to take the reins at Stamford Bridge, it’s an even larger price – 33/1.
I think it’s safe to say that he won’t actually be in the running for either position, but the speed in which the likes of the Scottish Sun fired out tweets touting him with a switch brought a smirk to my face. It’s also a clickbait world and they know this speculation will generate traffic.
Despite this, I remain confident that Postecoglou won’t be swayed by the first cash-rich outfit that comes calling.
Leicester might be playing in the second tier of English football next year while Chelsea change coaches on a whim if they show any hint of struggle.
The mentality of some people south of the border is that because Celtic are in a relatively uncompetitive league Ange should be grateful for any chance to come to the EPL. However, anyone who listens to him on a regular basis will know his focus is on winning more silverware for the Hoops and not beefing up his bank account.
Meanwhile, on the pitch, step by step Celtic are marching towards a second successive title.
Sunday’s victory at Ross County wasn’t a vintage performance, with the Staggies proving difficult to break down during the opening 45 minutes. It took VAR to work to Celtic’s benefit for the breakthrough to come in first-half injury time as Alex Iacovitti’s outstretched arm struck the ball and Jota converted the resultant penalty.
There were chances to extend the lead - Kyogo was guilty of missing a glaring sitter - but in the 95th minute the points were sealed when Alexandro Bernabei’s thunderbolt found the net for his first Hoops goal.
The Argentinian has taken a while to find his feet in new surroundings and this will do his confidence the world of good as he aims to push Greg Taylor for the left-back position.
Following the game, the manager said: “It was a challenging game. We knew it would be. They make it awfully hard to play in any kind of space. We had to stick at it and I think we did. Maybe we were a bit wasteful, but overall a great mentality from the lads to get the job done.”
Next up it’s the small matter of another derby on Saturday (kick-off 12.30pm) at Celtic Park.
The gap between the top two remains nine points and a victory for the home side would all but guarantee another league title. Michael Beale’s side, while largely uninspiring in their displays, are still winning and will look at this as their make-or-break moment in the title race.
Even a draw would suit the Bhoys with seven games remaining after Saturday, however, there’s no way Postecoglou will set his side out for just a point.
This is a prime opportunity to highlight the gap in quality between the two teams.
Fans are hopeful that Aaron Mooy and Reo Hatate will be available after injury. While Tomoki Iwata impressed at Ross County, I wouldn’t be starting him in such a high-pressured match unless absolutely necessary, while Matt O’Riley once again looked off the boil last weekend.
We’re at that stage of the season where all the hard work begins to pay dividends.
The League Cup is already in the cabinet, one hand is on the Premiership and the Scottish Cup semi-final is at the end of the month.
Trebles aren’t unfamiliar territory for Celtic and they aren’t something fans will ever get bored of. But more work still needs to be done to complete the job.
There’s no room for complacency, any unexpected slip this weekend and all of a sudden it’s game on.
