It’s mad to think he was a laughing stock- former Rangers midfielder makes big Ange confession

Kevin Thomson has given a glowing endorsement of Ange Postecoglou and his 18 month turnover at Celtic.

The former Hibs midfielder coached at Ibrox under Steven Gerrard before going out on his own with a season in charge of Kelty Hearts.

Thomson has been left out of management this season which has allowed him to look in greater detail at those at the cutting edge.

During the Champions League he watched things go badly wrong for Giovanni van Bronckhorst, when that form spilled over into domestic results the Dutchman was sacked- the second Ibrox boss to depart since a certain Australian arrived in the Scottish game.

While the new man at Ibrox is feted as a training ground visionary the reception for Postecoglou was very different as Thomson recalled:

?”I’m pretty sure internally he’ll be sending a message that this is still a title fight…”

Kevin Thomson’s backing Michael Beale to get the best out of Rangers as they look to catch “a really good” Celtic ?? pic.twitter.com/TBowPniiL5

— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) December 12, 2022

They are a really good team. It’s mad to think that Ange was a laughing stock when he first came to Scotland. He was getting battered from pillar to post in the media but he’s always stayed with respect and quality really.

As an individual I think that he carries himself with real class. Which is refreshing because sometimes outside voices and the media can be difficult when you come under scrutiny.

But I have to say that the way he has conducted himself has been a breath of fresh air. He’s got a real good team, his recruitment has been spot on, he’s embraced the pressure of having to win game after game.

The European run might be a wee bit disappointing when he looks back on that but the same time domestically is really your bread and butter and domestically, so far so good.

Media perception means nothing to Postecoglou with his full focus on Saturday’s match at Aberdeen as the domestic season resumes with Celtic currently nine points clear at the top of the SPFL Premiership.