Ange Postecoglou has hit back at critics who he believes his Celtic side don’t deserve to be playing the top level of European football.
The Celtic boss was answering questions during his pre-match press conference before Celtic take on Hibs tomorrow afternoon.
It was a disappointing evening for his side on Tuesday night as RB Leipzig ended the Hoops hopes of Champions League progression with a 2-0 victory in the east end of Glasgow.
The story of Celtic’s European campaign has been missed opportunities having made clear progress under Postecoglou after a five year hiatus from the Champions League.
Celtic would need a miracle in their remaining two group stages matches against Shakhtar Donetsk and Real Madrid to keep their European hopes alive but Postecoglou is insistent that he’d rather see his side struggle at the top level than not be there at all.
The former Socceroos boss is pleased with his teams progression and is happy with where his team are at.
“As opposed to just not being involved at all? So what you’re saying is that we play domestic competition and just ignore everything else? I get your question and I understand the whole… living here for 18 months now I’ve seen the Scottish national team go from heroes to no-hopers to heroes again,” said Ange Postecoglou as quoted by the Daily Record.
“So I get this whole boom-bust cycle, and getting to here and the whole ‘woe is me’. We’re not the only country that struggles to get results at Champions League level.
“I can only talk for my club but if anyone can tell me that from the four games we’ve played that we don’t deserve to be there, or that we’ve been outplayed or looked out of place, then I reckon they’re talking from an agenda or some sort of bias.
“The questions I’ve had after each of our games is about opportunities missed. The ‘opportunities missed’ suggests that we’ve got to improve some areas for sure, but doesn’t say that we somehow don’t belong in a competition that we’ve earned the right to be in.”
Celtic qualified for the group stages having won the league title last season when the Hoops were written off in October.
Postecoglou has admitted that Champions League progression isn’t going to be an overnight fix and that there must be more experience at this level.
Spot on! Tell those biased idiots big mhan.
If big Ange is happy then I’m absolutely delighted….
The thing the SMSM lackeys don’t get is that NO MATTER what sh*t stirring garbage they try wae our excellent manager….. won’t fly, cause the whole Celtic family f**kin love him…..
HH