Soccer Football - Scottish Premiership - Rangers vs Celtic - Ibrox, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - January 2, 2023 Rangers manager Michael Beale with Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou before the match REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Ange Postecoglou was a hype free zone at Hampden yesterday.
Five days before a cup final in a contrived media setting the Celtic boss wasn’t prepared to go along with the game of filling spaces with comforting sound-bites.
Being forced into a couple of photo-shoots with the opposing manager isn’t the best way to spend a Tuesday afternoon, especially one who has described you as lucky and who apparently knows all of the details of transfer business at your club.
Respect is two way and earned.
There was one minor detail that not many of the assembled media picked up on and that was the huge gulf in managerial experience between Sunday’s bosses.
A couple of times Postecoglou mentioned his 26 years in management, largely successful covering club and international football with league titles in three different countries.
In contrast Beale is in his first season in management, very much the rookie with his opposite number in complete control of the broadcast media yesterday.
I think today was one for the ages ? pic.twitter.com/xLfnGfCLUH
— Giampaolo Mazzone (@PMJawn) February 21, 2023
QUESTION: You talk about the importance of being under control have there been any moments in these games when it has got to you or you have felt a fan reaction?
Postecoglou replied:
Not really. I’m still a human being. I want us to win and I’m not happy when we do. Part of being a fan is allowing yourself to lose yourself in moments. If you want to shout abuse, you have to do that, and if you want to lose yourself in delirium, you have to do that. But I don’t think that’s what they want or expect from their manager.
They want me to be clear-headed and try and prepare the team in the best possible way. I’m very passionate, don’t take defeat well, and love winning. It just depends on how you look at it. It’s been my job for 26 years.
When a pilot lands a plane, he knows what he’s doing, you’re not making that up as you go along. I like to think that after 26 years I know what I’m doing.
Friday and Saturday will be good days for the daily sevco to get some FAKE NEWS out there about our club,on the hope of upsetting the players and our manager.
Meanwhile over at the BIGOT dome all will be good and all their headlines will be positives.
You might even get a special guest star appearance from none other than wee Quark himself from Deep Space 9 aka Alex Rae,now just where has he disappeared to he was forever talking up sevco.
Quark was a savvy entrepreneur Scud, if you want to compare Rae to a Ferenghi I’d say the far more odious Liquidator Brunt of the FCA would be a better choice…plus, in a way, it puts the memory of his old klub’s fare front and centre…
* fate, not fare
My kingdom for an edit button…
Lol put them both into the washing machine and out comes Alex Rae.
Experience counts for nothing in this country when it cones to results, unless we dismantle that lot on Sunday, scoring probably at least 3, the MiB will ensure a close game or maybe even a wee helping hand considering the VAR shenanigans already this season, I fully expect a completely innocuous pen decision to go their way and several early bookings on our back line…as I say, the MiB close the gap when it comes to the Newco regardless of experience and ability, we need one of our ruthless displays, not all bark and no bite as we will pay if we do.
26 yrs v 26 games or is it even that many lol!
Yes, looks like they were having a dress rehearsal for Sunday last Saturday. A penalty to put them in front, then a man sent off and collect the three points!
And a perfect day out at the Hundome!