For most managers, three points and the glimmering glint of silverware in the near future would be pleasing enough. Most managers aren’t Ange Postecoglou, though.
One thing Postecoglou won’t stand for is his team abandoning their principles. The stuff that has been drilled into them from his first day on the training pitch. What he probably refers to as their bread and butter.
After Celtic’s 2-1 victory over Livingston in midweek, he appeared frustrated at his side for not sticking by what they focus on day in, day out. What they’ve been so good at throughout his tenure to date.
He felt that the performance was not up to the standards that the champions have set over the last 18-months.
While, of course, he was happy with another victory against a tough team, Postecoglou admitted it was made crystal clear to his players where the areas of improvement are required.
He said: “What’s important for me is I want us to play well. My mood’s kind of dictated by how we play, our performance.
“As much as I love winning, and hate losing and those things you get measured by I’d rather we had put on a better performance against Livingston. Within that context we have been very good for a long time.
“We just have to make sure we don’t just start believing things will happen as a consequence of us going out there and sort-of playing the style of football we want.
“That has to be backed up by some discipline, and resilience around our football.
“Listen, I understand that’s the ultimate measure but I believe we need to hit certain levels of performance and play the game a certain way. I say that because that is where I think is the road to success. If you just focus on the winning, you are going to miss opportunities like midweek to learn, and evolve.
“You know I could have walked away from Livingston and say, ‘we’ve won against a difficult opponent’, but that would ignore the areas we could improve.
“I think the players are well aware of that and they’ll be disappointed we didn’t turn up as we needed to.
“I try and stay as even tempered as I can in terms of analysing what I see and what is important to us.
“And the players relate to that and become accustomed to that so when we do our analysis we do it in the absence of the scoreboard and what it shows up there. We just look purely at the football we play and the kind of team we want to be.
“I think the players would probably be disappointed if I had walked in to the dressing room after the Livingston game and ignored that.
“There were times tonight when we didn’t stick to our principles and weren’t disciplined. That’s what they expect of me and that is what I expect of myself.”
Part of Postecoglou’s overall concerns were laid bare when he opened up on his players’ choices of whether or not to be in the right position at the right times during the Livi match.
He had no issue with the quality of finishing for the chances they did create. But he did have a problem with actually manipulating those situations.
He added: “It is just it was really clear for me in midweek that balls were going in the areas and there was no-one there. When you look back at the vision, players who should have been there chose not to be there. It was a decision.
“And when that happens I need to go back and question why…why people aren’t getting in those areas.
“Look, in a game of football the hardest thing to do is to score goals. We know that, and we’ve been pretty good at that, particularly against teams sitting pretty deep. We have certain ways we try and unlock teams. It’s not easy to do and it’s a big process to get to that point.
“But what you need at the end of it is people making sure we are fulfilling their roles so we can take advantage of the hard work that precedes it.”
Meanwhile, the Celtic boss says it’s important for his players and staff to relax on Christmas day, just like most people do around the country.
While football may seem like the beacon of light in many people’s lives, the Australian insists those who work within the industry deserve a well-earned break at Christmas too.
He said: “I think irrespective of anything as much as we believe football is the be all and end all of life, Christmas still time to spend with family and that should be separate from what we do in our profession.
“I know the boys won’t be looking beyond St Johnstone and they will know they want to prepare well for that and put on a strong performance for our fans.
“We want to make sure we have them leaving the stadium with a smile on their face and they’ll enjoy Christmas a little bit more.”
