Ange Postecoglou says his Celtic players will never tire of winning – and insists they’re just as hungry as Rangers’ stars to lift the Viaplay Cup at Hampden today.
The Hoops gaffer dismissed any suggestion that securing the first trophy of the season means more to the Ibrox club, with Celtic cruising to another Premiership title. MailSport columnist and former Old Firm striker Kenny Miller believes Michael Beale’s side will have the bigger appetite at Hampden.
But Postecoglou is adamant that his squad has barely got started in its quest for continued success. Despite taking the league flag and League Cup last term, he says they’re desperate for more silverware. On the eve of today’s showdown, Postecoglou said: “From the 2019 League Cup win, only Callum McGregor and James Forrest are left. So it’s not like this group has had a lot of success. They’ve had some but they want more. That’s been our driver from the start.
“This group wants to win every single game of football they play in. That’s where our motivation will come from on Sunday.
“For at least three or four of them, the semi-final against Kilmarnock was their first trip to Hampden. So it’s not like there is a lot of experience within this group. But there is a real desire to have success.”
Postecoglou is looking to secure his second cup triumph since arriving in Glasgow after beating Hibs in last year’s League Cup Final. And he says lifting that trophy was the catalyst for a title win and improved performances this season.
He said: “I think it was important. It’s fair to say we had a rough start in Europe and in the league. By the time the cup final came round, we’d steadied the ship. The supporters understood we weren’t quite there but they could see the direction we were going in. The players were beginning to embrace the way we play but there’s no doubt winning something so early accelerates the process.
“It was important because if we hadn’t – any hiccup might have had stronger consequences. We had a couple of small blips after that but the fact we’d won something accelerated the whole thing.
“It allowed everyone to buy in. There was something tangible building here. It wasn’t just words or something abstract. They’d seen it and we’ve had success as a result.
“Then the players think they don’t want to miss out so they really buy into the way you want them to train and play.
“This year has been about improvement from last year. I wanted us to be a better team this season – and I think we are.
“That always has to be our goal. That gives you an opportunity to win things like Sunday. It’s the position we want to be in, constantly challenging for honours.
“The fact we won it last year is not an extra motivator for me. We have just got to win it, whether it’s the first one or the tenth in a row.”
READ NEXT:
