Just how on earth do you replace a man like Ange Postecoglou?
That is a question most at Celtic would have been hoping to kick down the road for another year or two at least. But, with The Sun reporting that Tottenham Hotspur could confirm the Australian’s appointment as their new head coach as early as next week, the nightmare-fuel prospect of without Ange Postecoglou is threatening to bleed into reality for those on the green side of the city like some cruel, Glasgow-based Freddy Krueger reboot.
Not only has the straight-talking 57-year-old guided Celtic to successive Scottish Premiership triumphs – and to the brink of another treble – he has done so in style. In terms of pure tactical understanding, Postecoglou arguably belongs on a different plane to even Martin O’Neil or Brendan Rodgers; transforming Greg Taylor from a limited left-back into an inverted playmaker, Joe Hart into a ball-playing goalkeeper and elevating Anthony Ralston, Liel Abada and a host of other budding youngsters to levels hitherto unexpected.
What’s more, Postecoglou has constructed one of the strongest Celtic squads in recent memory despite the financial limitations facing even Scotland’s most deep-pocketed clubs. Abada, Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda, Alistair Johnston, Oh-Hyeon Gyu, Aaron Mooy, Matt O’Riley and Josip Juranovic all arriving for fees below the £5 million mark.
No wonder Daniel Levy – a chairman not exactly renowned for splashing the cash – likes him so much.
Postecoglou’s extensive knowledge of faraway markets – specifically the Japanese top-flight – has worked wonders; Kyogo, Hatate and Maeda leading an East Asian revolution in Parkhead.
His almost unrivalled mastery of the market, along with his grasp of the dressing room, will be missed.
Ange Postecoglou could leave Celtic for Tottenham
Reports from The Sun suggesting that David Moyes is an early candidate to replace Postecoglou should fill the Celtic supporters with a degree of concern. If Postecoglou was a left-field risk which reaped considerable rewards, Moyes is the opposite. More a ‘safe pair of hands’, certainly, but hardly an appointment which would point to a coherent, long-term plan.
Perhaps it’s a little unfair to draw comparisons with those Mick McCarthy links from back in 2021. Moyes does have West Ham looking forward to a European final, after all. But another old-school, 60-something manager with a Celtic connection? Postecoglou and his army of J-League imports was supposed to bring an end to time-honoured and flawed argument that any new appointment must ‘know the club’.
What’s more, while Moyes’ rather pragmatic blueprint may help improve Celtic’s Champions League prospects, it’s hard to imagine that supporters would not quickly pine for Postecoglou’s unique, free-flowing, Guardiola-inspired approach. Postecoglou, after all, puts the ‘beautiful’ in the Beautiful Game.
What about Andoni Iraola?
If Celtic are to build on the foundations Postecoglou had laid down – rather than rip them up and start again – then do not be surprised to see Enzo Maresca return to the conversation. Maresca, a Premier League 2 winner with Man City’s U23s, is another from the Guardiola, Postecoglou, Marcelo Bielsa school of possession-heavy purity.
But if Celtic look further afield, one name that should catch there eye is that of Andoni Iraola. Especially after the 40-year-old former Spain international confirmed this week that he would be leaving Rayo Vallecano upon the expiry of his contract.
Iraola, who recently admitted to holding talks with Leeds United, played under Bielsa at Athletic Bilbao. And he clearly learned a lot from his old mentor.
“He’s improved this Rayo team, which is a limited team in terms of big names and quality. He improves players individually, and got them playing an incredible brand of football,” La Liga expert Phil Kitromilides tells talkSPORT; Iraola’s Rayo still in contention for a European spot despite boasting one of the division’s smallest budgets.
“(Iraola’s style) is a sort of ‘organised chaos’. He inherited that from his mentor (Bielsa). They get the ball out wide as quickly as possible and use the two-flying full-backs and wingers. Not just getting to the by-line but cutting inside, lots of overlapping.
“It’s an aggressive, high intensity, high press kind of football. One that is really, really good to watch.
“He speaks English as well. There is a lot of things to be excited about.”
‘Incredible brand of football’
Iraola has turned the likes of Isi Palazon and Alvaro Garcia into two of La Liga’s finest performers. He helped Fran Garcia secure a move to Real Madrid. A recent 3-1 win over Barcelona – Rayo asphyxiating Xavi’s passing game with their relentless press and lethal counter-attacking – left one Robert Lewandowski in awe of the work Iraola has done in Vallecas.
“They have conviction in what they are doing. A team who are able to break barriers,” the highly-experienced Jorge Sampaoli said after his Sevilla team took on Rayo (The Athletic). “They are a very brave side, who pressure the ball everywhere and do not let you play. We played against a very good team today.”
If Celtic are to build upon Postecoglou’s success, any new manager will need to be able to; 1) improve individual players, 2) instil an exciting, forward-thinking brand of football, and 3) succeed on a limited budget.
At 40 years of age, and with just two seasons of top-flight management under his belt, Iraola does not tick every single box. He remains largely unproven, and may find the Glasgow goldfish bowl a little daunting.
But he certainly ticks a lot of them.
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