ANGE POSTECOGLOU has said that his players still apply themselves very well in training, with no issues arising from the paper talk that suggests a few players are keen on a move away in January.
Josip Juranovic and Giorgos Giakouamkis have both been tipped to leave Celtic this winter, with negotiations between the pair and the club over a new contract breaking down, with money being a big issue.
Postecoglou has seen no change in any player’s attitude and promises fans if he does see a difference, he’ll deal with it. The manager has admitted that he can’t keep every player forever and realises that some do wish to pursue new contracts.
As quoted by The Herald, Ange Postecoglou said:
“I don’t think too much about it unless something is presented to me.
“I focus more on what I see every day in training.
“If players are unhappy, have concerns or are looking for other things then it’ll come to my attention pretty quickly and we’ll deal with it as we go along.
“Every transfer window is an opportunity for us to get stronger and better, and that’s what we will be looking to do.
“It doesn’t always mean we will bring players in, it will be about not losing players that would weaken us. Sometimes we’ll be developing and won’t need to bring anyone in.
“But the windows are always an opportunity to improve and that’s how we’ll treat this one.
“It’s not about me imposing conditions that players have to be happy. Players have different priorities at different times.
“I have understood that my whole managerial career. In 25 years of doing this job, I’ve never taken anything personally or felt players should think a certain way.
“Some players want more game time, some think it might be time for them to improve their financial situation or maybe it’s just they don’t like the way I manage. It could be a number of things, but it’s constantly evolving.
“My role is to look at what I see every day and deal with the issues that come up. I don’t go around telling the players they need to feel a certain way or behave a certain way.
“It’s down to them. We know what this football club has to offer in terms of the size of the club, the passionate fanbase, the pressure for success and European football.
“We are pretty clear about it. But sometimes players’ priorities can change and if that happens I’ll deal with it.”
Players will leave Celtic; it’s a given. The club must be proactive in the transfer market and get replacements of the desired quality, not panic buys that have happened in recent years. In fairness to the club, they seem to be doing this, with multiple strikers linked with a move to Glasgow and a right-back closing in on a deal at Celtic.
