Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has insisted that with a larger squad now available for selection, it allows him and his coaching staff to set higher benchmarks in his sides play style.
During the first part of the season, Postecoglou was faced with many selection issues, which included a number of his first-team stars playing a lot of football, leading to injury concerns throughout the squad.
However, in the aftermath of the winter break, with several of his squad returning from injury, as well as new additions in the January window, he can now set higher benchmarks within his side’s performances due to squad rotation, which allows players to keep the intensity high.
“It gives me the opportunity to set higher benchmarks,” he said, as quoted by BBC Sport.
“I can rotate the team, and that means certain things like our intensity, our tempo, our intent to play our football, shouldn’t really drop.
“There were probably times, particularly in the first half of the year, where I had to make allowances that we weren’t going to be as sharp as we possibly could because players were playing so much football.
“So you assess a game a bit differently and say we may have been a bit flat in certain parts of the game, but there’s a reason for that.
“Whereas now, with the talent we have available, irrespective of the changes I make, those things should be there.”
As this Celtic side get set to face Championship side Raith Rovers for a second time this season, Ange Postecoglous squad find themselves in a much better place at this point in the campaign.
Going into Sunday’s game, much has been made about the possible rotation which Postecoglou can now make to the starting 11, with a number of quality options available.
It will be interesting to see what sort of side the 56-year old will put out. But, with the confidence this group of players is playing with at the moment, no matter who starts, they are likely to be filled with confidence ahead of kick-off.
