ONLY a select few can count themselves among those fortunate enough to be labelled as Celtic legends by the supporters, and there is no way that Ange Postecoglou would place himself in such a storied bracket.
It is only a matter of time though before the fans do, according to John Kennedy, if they haven’t done so already. Such has been Postecoglou’s impact in such a short period of time at Celtic Park that the punters may well now hold him upon such a pedestal.
Part of Postecoglou’s popularity comes from the way that he represents the club and speaks both to and for the Celtic fans. That would of course count for little if results on the pitch weren’t as relentlessly positive, but when coupled with the success of his team, it has all combined into a heady cocktail that has intoxicated the supporters.
For Kennedy, the work he has done in building that relationship and in building such a dominant side, has him well on the way to building a legacy as a true great of the club.
“Definitely,” Kennedy said. “It’s part of his duties as a manager to build that rapport between the supporters and a connection the team.
“That’s a real strength of his. You see his real humility with the way he speaks.
“He’s shown his human side. He’s the manager of a huge institution but at the end of the day he’s a human being and he respects the sacrifices the fans make to come and support their team, whether it’s the cost, the time, the travelling or whatever.
“He has a lot of respect for that and always wants to give something back the other way.
“Over time he’s built a real rapport with the fans, and I think they appreciate each other.”
As good as Postecoglou has been for the club, Kennedy says it has also been a pleasure for him as a young coach to work alongside the Australian every day.
Of all the lessons he has picked up along the way, it is Postecoglou’s trademark single-mindedness that has stuck out above all others, the importance of sticking to your principles even if the going gets a little rocky.
“He’s been great,” he said.
“He’s a great guy and he’s pretty much like the way most people see him. It’s just the way he is. He’s a humble guy but he’s very clear in his intent and the way he wants to work.
“It makes our jobs as coaches pretty easy. When he came in he had a clear idea of the way he wanted to play and train as a team, and the standards he set.
“It was easy for us to jump on board and make sure the training met his expectations. From there it’s about him piecing it all together.
“You look at his management and his recruitment, then it’s about developing the players.
“He knows absolutely everything that’s going on. I’ve really enjoyed working with him and we have a good relationship.
“It has been good for me as a coach. When you work with different managers you get to experience a lot of new ideas.
“The one thing with the manager is he’s very clear. He knows exactly how things should look. That’s a good message as we can be consistent with the players in terms of knowing what works for us.
“Even during the testing times, when you lose games, like in Europe when you come under a bit more heat, he doesn’t waver. That’s the one thing I’ve noticed since the start. He is very strong in his views, and he sticks to his convictions and beliefs.
“He is convinced about what brings success and he won’t wobble on that.”
Celtic have a home tie against St Mirren in the Scottish Cup this evening to negotiate, something that Kennedy thinks will be a less than straightforward task. That was evidenced earlier in the season of course, when the Saints inflicted the only domestic defeat of the season upon Celtic back in September.
They may have got that out of their system with the recent 4-0 drubbing of Stephen Robinson’s men at Celtic Park, but might they also be driven by a desire to make up for the one domestic black mark against Postecoglou last season by ensuring the Scottish Cup doesn’t slip through their fingers once again?
“There is always pressure on us to win everything here,” Kennedy said. “That is the way it is.
“You are expected to do well in every competition, especially domestically.
“I think last year a lot of people wouldn’t have expected us to be in that position we ended up in given how quickly the gaffer got everyone up to speed.
“It’s up to us to build on that. This season feels more consistent in terms of the performances, it’s been very controlled. We’ve very much been on the front foot, and we haven’t conceded many goals or conceded too much territory.
“We’ve been dominant in that respect so it’s about maintaining it. You always need to be on high alert because the focus is on winning every game.
“You know the results come through performances. That is especially the case in the cup, when it’s a one off. If the performances continue like they have done, we will be in a good position.
“Stephen Robinson has built a good team at St Mirren. They are strong, they work hard and are very disciplined.
“They’ve got good players in there. We saw [that] earlier in the season, if you don’t perform on the day, they are a side who are capable of causing some problems.
“We have to do what we’ve been doing and have in the back of our minds it a cup competition and it’s sometimes about grinding it out and making sure you get through.”
