Ange Postecoglou hits back at 'LUCKY man' claims from Rangers boss
Ange Postecoglou hits back at rival manager amid claims the Australian is a ‘LUCKY man’… as Celtic boss insists his success is down to ’25 years of hard work’
- Ange Postecoglou has batted away Michael Beale’s claims he is a ‘lucky man’
- Rangers boss said Celtic’s success was down to spend more than their rivals
- Celtic are on the verge of a fifth treble in seven seasons
Ange Postecoglou has taken a fresh swipe at Michael Beale by insisting his Celtic success is everything to do with hard work and nothing to do with luck.
Rangers rival Beale sparked controversy in January by claiming his Parkhead counterpart was a ‘lucky man’ to have money to spend on quality players.
Postecoglou hit back at those claims at the time and, speaking after Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final win which placed Celtic on course for a fifth treble in seven years, he reiterated his belief that his team’s dominance of the domestic game is down to experience and graft rather than good fortune.
The Australian also indicated that he would never have made that kind of comment about another manager, and told his rival he will have to work hard if he is to enjoy the same kind of success as he has at Parkhead.
Claiming he was not irked or motivated by Beale’s words, he admitted: ‘I think people use that kind of language deliberately.
Ange Postecoglou has dismissed Michael Beale’s claims he was a ‘lucky man’
The Rangers boss said Celtic’s success was down to the amount of money they spent
‘I would never use that language about somebody in my position. I’m not sure which bit is “lucky”.
‘I think Michael at the time was referring to the fact I had money to spend but, you know what?
‘I didn’t get to this position out of luck.
‘I’ve worked 25 years in coaching to be entrusted at a club like this. This isn’t my first job.
‘If it was my first job, maybe I’d be lucky, but it’s not. It’s 25 years of hard work.
‘And I have to spend that money, and I can get it wrong. And many have, with bigger clubs than ours, so I’m not sure which bit is luck.
‘I think everything you do in life, and particularly in our game, is hard-earned. That doesn’t mean that luck doesn’t come into it at different times.
‘But to describe any aspect of my role as fortunate or lucky, I just don’t think it’s a fair reflection of anybody in my position.
Postecoglou won the Scottish Premiership and the League Cup in his first season in charge
He lifted the League Cup again in February as Celtic beat Rangers in the final 2-1
‘I don’t think Michael is in a lucky position just because he’s at a club which has resources that other clubs in Scotland don’t have.
‘I know he has to work hard if he is going to be successful, the same way I have.’
Victory over Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday would see Celtic retain the Premiership title, while Inverness Caledonian Thistle lie in wait at Hampden on June 3.
With Postecoglou being linked with a raft of jobs in the Premier League, Hibs boss Lee Johnson has already expressed the view that the Australian might soon find managing Celtic ‘too easy.’
Postecoglou countered: ‘I don’t think any part of my job is easy. I don’t think any part of my job is lucky.
The Bhoys are on the verge of an astonishing fifth treble in seven seasons
‘I don’t think any part of any manager’s job in whatever sort of environment they are working in is one where you can use those terms.
‘Any manager in any position knows, irrespective of the circumstances, that it’s hard work.
‘You’ve got to be totally dedicated. And you’ve got to always try to make the best decisions that you are asked to make every day.
‘To dismiss this as something that should just happen naturally, because of who we are as a club, disregards so many factors that come into what it takes to be successful.’
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