I think now is the perfect time to accept the Tottenham job. I really do. Considering all of their recent misfortunes, a manager with a clear plan has the opportunity to go out there, make an impact, and be seen as a savior.
Will it be Ange Postecoglou? Time will tell us. But no doubt further news of Spurs’ intentions will be eagerly awaited. Both sides of Glasgow.
A lot of Rangers fans – and I’m thinking of Michael Beale too – would love to see Postecoglou leave Celtic. In my opinion, it would actually be a feather in the hat of Scottish football if his excellent Premiership achievements were recognized by an approach from a club like Spurs.
If he accepted, Celtic would obviously do everything to find the best possible replacement.
Often, however, it takes a little time for a new manager to express their own ideas and make the changes they want. Some uncertainty is introduced.
Ange Postecoglou has emerged as a strong contender to land the vacant Spurs job
Postecoglou’s exit from Scottish football would be welcomed by Rangers boss Michael Beale
Postecoglou’s departure would not give Rangers the upper hand for next season. Not with the structure and team the Australian has put in place at Parkhead.
But it would at least give my former club a chance to even things up if they got their own business this summer. This last point remains absolutely critical, whatever happens with Postecoglou.
I have never hidden my admiration for the work done by the Celtic coach. The speed with which he introduced a new culture to the club was sensational – a departure from the norm – and he reaped huge rewards. He raised the bar for Scottish football and has done just about everything right since his arrival.
It looks like Spurs are now very interested. And I can certainly understand that.
Like I said, maybe people are looking at Tottenham’s problems right now and thinking it’s a bad point to take charge of North London. I totally disagree.
They are an underperforming team and face a lot of criticism. Much criticism has also been directed at Daniel Levy.
If a new manager comes along, stabilizes things and puts Spurs on the right track, he would gain so much credit. That’s why it’s a good opportunity. With proper guidance, the only way should be upwards.
There is a bit of a similarity to what Postecoglou did in Parkhead. When he took over, Celtic were in dire straits after the disaster of their failed attempt for ten in a row.
Rangers looked the dominant club at the time. But he quickly turned things around.
Postecoglou managed to steer Celtic to glory despite the club taking over in disarray
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has sounded Postecoglou as one of the main leadership candidates
Of course, the English Premier League is a very different beast. The competition there is incredibly tough.
But no one expects Tottenham to suddenly become title favorites next season. It would be about building back into European qualification and progressing from there.
If an offer comes in, Postecoglou will have to think very hard. For now, I’m sure his mind will be on winning the treble in this weekend’s Scottish Cup final against Inverness. It could be two seasons with five trophies and lots of good football.
His only regret, if he were to go there this summer, would be the Champions League. He would have loved to show that Celtic could achieve results in Europe by playing their way.
If you look at the two years as a whole, however, I’m sure he would be remembered fondly for a very long time. Leaving during a closed season also causes far fewer problems than leaving in the middle of a campaign.
Common sense just says it’s a huge move for him if Spurs make a genuine offer. If that happened, I could see him go. The timing may be right.
While this is good news for Rangers, it won’t matter much unless they rebuild their squad this summer. We’ve already seen a good impact from Beale’s January signings – Nico Raskin and Todd Cantwell – but there’s still a huge amount of work to do.
The Australian lifts the Premiership title, which they clinched with a seven-point gap to second
Rangers need players of a similar level at goalkeeper, centre-back, winger and striker level. To start.
They need to be successful in all of these areas if they are to have a real title chase next season. While a lot could happen at Celtic over the next few weeks, Rangers must first and foremost make sure their own house is in order.
In that regard, I like what I’ve heard from Beale when he talks about adding experience. Because you need balance.
It’s always good to have young players. They are hungry, have good potential for improvement, and may be easier to buy in terms of finance.
Likewise, however, you need a level of experience to support them. And there’s no doubt that Rangers are losing a lot this summer.
Allan McGregor and Scott Arfield are two obvious ones, but even Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent have seen and done so much at the age of 26.
You need new additions you can rely on. Guys who won’t get too nervous or heavy-legged when it counts. Yes, they can be more expensive, but sometimes you have to spend a little more to be sure of what you’re getting.
Players of this ilk aren’t just important for big games. They also continue to impose standards during training sessions.
It’s vital because there simply can’t be a repeat of this season. No trophy at Rangers is ever acceptable and we all know the kind of criticism that will follow if they don’t start the new campaign on a positive note.
With that in mind, I also saw Beale say that he wanted players to arrive as soon as possible. Kieran Dowell has already signed while reports suggest Dujon Sterling will do so soon.
Rangers’ latest signing Kieran Dowell sits in the stands during a recent game at Ibrox
The club return to pre-season training at the end of June and the value of having a good number of new faces already in attendance is significant.
You need time to gel. You need time for players to realize exactly what Rangers demand and where they fit into Beale’s style of play.
The earlier this happens, the greater the chances of success. New players always need a little leeway to adapt, but at Ibrox patience is limited. It’s like that.
But are Rangers preparing to face a Celtic side under Postecoglou or someone new? We should know soon.
