Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic continue to struggle with loss to Hearts

Just days after crashing out of the UEFA Champions League, Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic have made a losing start to their Scottish Premier League campaign.

A dejected Ange Postecoglou shakes hands match officials after Celtic’s 2-1 loss to Hearts. Picture: Steve Welsh/Getty Images

Just one match the Scottish Premier League season, Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou says time is already running out for the battling Hoops.

Former Socceroos boss Postecoglou’s tough start to life as Celtic manager continued at Tynecastle on Sunday morning with a 2-1 loss to newly promoted Hearts.

Celtic’s defeat on the first weekend of the Scottish season came hot on the heels of their midweek UEFA Champions League second-round qualifying loss to Danish team Midtjylland.

“We can’t afford time,” Postecoglou told Sky Sports.

“We’ve got to bounce back and get results.”

And that’s starting with Friday morning’s Europa League third-round first-leg qualifier against Jablonec in the Czech Republic.

“We’ve got to get better at closing our game – we’ve got to keep improving,” Postecoglou said.

“We’ve got a game (Friday morning) and we’ve got to bounce back and get a win.

Poor defending gifted Hearts the lead in just the eighth minute via a goal from Gary Mackay-Steven.

Ange Postecoglou is left frustrated during Celtic’s 2-1 loss to Hearts. Picture: Steve Welsh/Getty Images

Celtic equalised in the 54th minute through an Anthony Ralston goal.

However, defensive woes continued to haunt the Hoops when an unmarked John Souttar, the brother of Scotland-born Socceroos defender Harry Souttar, rose high in the 89th minute to head a Michael Smith free-kick past Celtic goalkeeper Scott Bain.

Celtic had two chances to equalise in stoppage time but were denied on both occasions by crucial saves from former Hoops keeper Craig Gordon.

“It’s a game we could have won and we didn’t,” Postecoglou said.

“Once we got back into the game we looked comfortable and looked like we were going to take it out but it didn’t happen.”

“I think we know where we’re at and what we need to do. It takes training sessions, it takes time, it takes games.

“At the moment we’re throwing teams together, I am anyway, and that’s affecting it, but put that all aside because that all sounds like excuses even as I’m saying it.

“It’s still a game we could have won.”