Ange Postecoglou has won trophies everywhere he has been.
Since leading boyhood club South Melbourne in the 1990s, Postecoglou went on a long journey which took him to Celtic Park.
After years spent working with the Australian youth national sides, he returned to his homeland’s new-look A-League with Brisbane Roar, whom he transformed into record-breaking title-winners.
When given his chance with the senior national team, Postecoglou led them to their first ever Asian Cup, before returning to domestic football with Yokohama F. Marinos – and winning the league with them, too.
Celtic had finished 25 points behind Rangers when Ange came to Glasgow, yet he still delivered the league title in his maiden season, and a treble in the next.
Few would seriously disregard this level of consistent success – apart from Simon Jordan apparently, who had a cheap dig at the new Nottingham Forest manager.
Simon Jordan criticises Ange Postecoglou’s ‘tactical ineptness’
Despite a dismal league performance in his second league season at Tottenham, Postecoglou delivered on his promise of winning silverware with a historic Europa League triumph.
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Speaking on Talksport, Jordan credited him for this – but he was less gracious in his verdict of Ange’s achievements in Scotland.
He said:”[Celtic] have no opposition in the Scottish league, so comparing what you have to do in Scotland against what he has to do in the Premier League is completely different.
“We know what he does with his centre-backs – he sends them to the medical room. People’s observation of him is not that he’s one-dimensional, it’s his tactical ineptness that people began to criticise.
“Not the fact that he plays only one way, because we know he doesn’t only play one way because we saw him playing pragmatically when he tried to win the Europa League.”
Postecoglou is a hard person to write off – time will tell if he proves the doubters wrong at the City Ground.
Ange Postecoglou could face Celtic in the Europa League
For Brendan Rodgers’ side, Nottingham Forest are a potential opponent in the later stages of this season’s Europa League.
The Australian is looking to win the trophy for the second year running, whilst the Hoops are looking to simply win a European knockout tie for the first time since 2004.
If Celtic are to make it through, they’ll have to navigate their eight league phase fixtures – packages for the games are now on sale to season ticket holders.
But with many Hoops fans thinking twice about paying to attend the games, Rodgers is likely looking at a hugely ambitious club like Forest with envy.