Ange Postecoglou admits 500 days has often felt like 500 minutes due to the relentless nature of life at Celtic.
But the Parkhead boss has enjoyed every single one of his first 499. And it’s why the Aussie has barely noticed them whirring past as he throws himself into improving every aspect of the club. Postecoglou will spend his 500th day immersed in a tear-up at Tynecastle as the champions look to maintain their place at the top of the Premiership.
In the first half century it’s been no half measures. Postecoglou has brought style to the pitch with his swashbuckling team thrilling and securing silverware for the club. Off the park, the 57-year-old is also having a big influence as he lays foundations to help improve Celtic’s future both in the short and long term. Reflecting on the period so far,Postecoglou said: “Yeah, sometimes it feels like 500 minutes and other times it feels like 500 days depending on where we’re at.
“Look, I’ve enjoyed every day of it. There hasn’t been a day where I haven’t enjoyed being in the role.
“From my perspective, when you’re not counting the days it probably means you are enjoying what you’re doing and you’re still passionate about what you’ve embarked on. I’ve had a fantastic time at the club and everyone is working really hard to get the club back to where it should be and we still have some work to do but I’ve enjoyed the first part of it.”
Of course Postecoglou’s main remit is to produce a winning team. But as public figurehead of an institution he also has to assume additional responsibilities.
None of it fazes Postecoglou and he added: “You understand you have a greater responsibility than just getting a team ready for the weekend, even though that’s the most important thing. In many ways you’re a spokesman for the football club and you can have an impact in so many ways.
“I guess that’s what makes it interesting and I’ve enjoyed that aspect of it. I’ve tried to embrace the whole role.
“Because of that I guess you have to accept there are going to be different challenges every day, but again, nothing I’ve felt uncomfortable doing or haven’t felt good about “I’ve felt that whatever I’m doing I’m representing this club and to me that’s great.”
Progress has been swift on the park since he was appointed on June 10 last year and in many respects it’s about the next 500 and the 500s after that which appeal more to the Celtic manager than what has gone before. Postecoglou said: “I was well aware coming in that like every manager we all have a clock ticking against us. It’s just how long people will give us time to build what we want.
“I was conscious that I had to do things pretty quickly and I wanted to do them quickly but at the same time, you can’t rush things. You have to get decisions right.
“I’ve been really pleased with the progress, not just on the field but off it with what we’re trying to create here “I think we’re building some really good foundations for what we want to do for the next phase.
“Again, I enjoy that part of the role – the initial stages, the building. I’m pleased we were able to deliver in our first year and the plan is that hopefully we can deliver more.
“I’ve said before I kind of take on every role as if I’m going to be here forever knowing full well that I won’t be because some of that is taken out of your hands. But I always try to make decisions that puts the club in the best position not just for short-term success but also long-term success.
“That’s what I mean about not just on the field but off it. I’m really proud of the foundations that have been put down in all the departments in terms of resources and people that we have brought in. I think the club is in a really good place.”
We never stop is his mantra. It never stops has always been the case for Celtic.
Following Tynecastle it’s back to Champions League action against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday. The Ukrainians have the weekend off to prepare while Celtic are battling in Edinburgh but Postecoglou has absolutely no issue or gripe.
Asked if it was better to rest up or fire into a fierce fixture prior to a big Euro tie he said: “It depends. It’s about what cycle you’re in.
“The reality is we try to plan for what’s there before us and not what could possibly happen. We had the Livingston game called off and I think that knocked us out of our rhythm a little bit as it gave us a weekend off.
“But on the other hand, in other stages, if you have a lot of injuries, it can be good to get a weekend off so it just really depends. As for this week, it doesn’t affect us. We’ve been planning for this fixture for a while now and it’s why I’m rotating the team and making sure we have as many players available and in good condition to compete.
“We’ll tackle Hearts with a strong team out and we’ll do the same on Tuesday against Shakhtar.”
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