Ange Postecoglou discusses Tom Rogic, Aaron Mooy, the Socceroos’ World Cup chances and Celtic’s tour of Australia
Should the Socceroos go with Tom Rogic? And how is Aaron Mooy shaping up? Ange Postecoglou speaks to ADAM PEACOCK.
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Even though he is wearing a Celtic polo shirt, consumed about how to make the Scottish giants bigger and better, Ange Postecoglou can’t help but pay attention to the Socceroos.
And fair enough.
He played for them, managed them from 2013 to 2017 and supported them before, during and after.
Months out from the World Cup, Postecoglou has been tracking the Socceroos’ progress and, more narrowly, the progress of a pair of star players who could be critical to the national team’s fortunes in Qatar.
Tom Rogic is one of them.
Postecoglou knew Rogic wasn’t certain of his next move when he left Celtic in May, especially when the mercurial talent dropped out of the Socceroos playoffs in June, but has noted with interest his announcement of a new deal with English Championship side West Bromwich Albion last week.
“He’s a legend at Celtic but at the same time he spent his whole adult life there and I could sense that he just needed a change,” Postecoglou tells CODE Sports. “Tommy’s talent is unquestionable. And also he backs himself, against anybody.
“He’s still probably one of our best players at national team level and hasn’t taken the easy route going to the Championship. His fitness levels and everything need to be at their best to compete there.
“People shouldn’t underestimate him to last that long at a club like Celtic, which demands success. Tom had 9-10 years of that, and [he has] got to be a strong character to survive that long. No doubt if fit, raring to go, he’ll be a challenge for anyone at the World Cup.”
Postecoglou will also have a big say on what type of condition Aaron Mooy will be in come the World Cup. Postocglou signed Mooy for Celtic shortly after the gifted midfielder played a key role in June’s playoff win over Peru, but has used him primarily off the bench in both domestic and continental matches so far.
“We’ve taken our time with him to get him up to speed,” Postecoglou says of Mooy.
“[I] think he’s in a good place back in Scotland with his family, playing again for a big club. We’ve got a hell of a program after this international break. We have 13-14 games in 6-7 weeks, so he’ll have plenty of football before the World Cup and be raring to go.”
The World Cup will be a brief respite for Postecoglou as he seeks to continually evolve Celtic.
Appointed 15 months ago to howls of “Postecogwho?” from Celtic’s millions of worldwide fans, and a few more who want to see them fail, Postecoglou quickly turned incredulity to adulation with a relentless approach to intense, attacking football the catalyst for last season’s Scottish title win.
“How we play is always most important to me,” Postecoglou says. “Celtic’s great teams are lauded from the way they played attacking football and that’s the way I want us to play, irrespective of the platform or opponent.”
This season has started well, with Celtic top after seven games, though there was a hiccup last weekend when little St Mirren knocked them off.
It was Celtic’s first league defeat in 364 days.
“I don’t take losses well, never have, be it my first job at South Melbourne or now,” Postecoglou says.
“If I knew we were going to win all the time I’d get bored of it pretty quickly. We’ve got to sit on it for a couple of weeks but at the same time we’ve been on an extraordinary run. The players have been unbelievable over the last 15-16 months with the progress we’ve made and this is just part of it. Learn from it, grow from it and come back stronger.”
After a five year absence, Celtic returned to Champions League group stage football on September 3, as European football demigod’s Real Madrid visited a raucous Celtic Park.
Celtic matched Real Madrid for an hour. Real Madrid ended up winning 3-0.
“The game goes for 90, mate,” Postecoglou’s smiles when asked if there was any solace from the performance. “It was a great night, people told me how special European nights are at Celtic Park, the Champions League anthem gets played and the noise was incredible.
“It was special, but it gives me motivation to bring success. That’s where the club needs to be. High standards we have to match and succeed.”
In a roundabout way, Celtic’s night against Real Madrid mirrored a Socceroos game from 2014 when Postecoglou was in charge.
Australia played Holland at the World Cup in the second group game.
The Dutch had just smashed Spain.
No-one gave the Socceroos a hope in hell.
Tim Cahill scored an outrageous volley. Mile Jedinak gave Australia the lead from the penalty spot. An hour in, everyone in a packed stadium in the south of Brazil, from the most-bogan Australian supporter to the royal family of the Netherlands, were milling the possibility of a monumental upset.
Alas, the Dutch fought back and survived. Postecoglou’s young, vibrant Socceroos, who played forward at every turn, narrowly failed.
Plaudits flowed, but no points, and Postecoglou can see similarities from then to what he’s trying to achieve with Celtic now.
Don’t just rock up.
Compete, attack, and see if respect flows.
“Celtic haven’t been in the Champions League for five years, don’t want to just do these six games as an experience,” he says. “I want to take some scalps and then create a good platform, qualify again, bridge that gap a little bit more.”
Postecoglou has used the international break to take a breath and travel to Sydney this week to promote Celtic’s mid-season tour in November, with games lined up against Sydney FC (November 17) and Everton (November 20).
The trip is possible because European football will hit the pause button for the World Cup.
Postecoglou infamously quit the Socceroos job straight after qualifying the team for the 2018 World Cup and spent the tournament a million miles removed from worry.
“I was in Mykonos in board shorts, with a Mythos in my hand!” Postecoglou laughs.
This time, he’ll be back home, buried in thoughts of how to make Celtic a better version of what he’s turned them into, but like any follower of Australian football, hoping for the best for the Socceroos.
“I remember this period. I took over a few games before the World Cup, thought it was exciting but a tense time. Camps have an extra edge to them, as a manager you’re looking around for who in the group will be able to cope. It’s about going there and making an impact.
Postecoglou’s goal during his time with the Socceroos was to not just rock up at events and be satisfied about being there. Current coach Graham Arnold has stated that winning the Socceroos first game at a World Cup since 2010 and progressing out of the group stage are the aims.
Postecoglou thinks it’s possible, and the Socceroos’ frightful qualifying experience, which turned to joy only with the very last kick of a shootout against Peru, shouldn’t act as a guide as to what’s possible against France, Denmark and Tunisia in November.
“The qualification process is not always a precursor to how you go at a World Cup,” Postecoglou says. “That’s the opportunity that exists now, playing some big nations. It’s about not fearing that, it‘s about embracing that and hopefully the guys can make an impact this time.
“They are all different experiences. One thing for sure is I’ll be watching.”
Originally published as Ange Postecoglou discusses Tom Rogic, Aaron Mooy, the Socceroos’ World Cup chances and Celtic’s tour of Australia
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