Rangers are set for a major Premier League boost ahead of the new season, with Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou reportedly closing in on a move to Spurs.
The Australian coach – who was initially laughed into Scottish football – is on the verge of a treble with our Old Firm rivals following a dismal season at Ibrox which offered little Parkhead resistance.
Now, according to the Scottish Sun, a deal to take Ange Postecoglou to Spurs is on, in what will clearly be a monumentally unsettling moment for Celtic heading into next season.
The report claims that Spurs hope to confirm Postecoglou as the permanent successor to Antonio Conte as early as next week, with the north London club silent on the links ahead of the weekend’s Scottish Cup Final.
Ange Postecoglou lined up for Spurs move
Say what you want about the Australian’s suitability for the job, or the fact the last two Old Firm managers who went down south have toiled, but there can be no doubting that this news benefits one team above everyone else: Rangers.
Just as Michael Beale’s side had begun to turn the tide against Postecoglou, Rangers hammering the former Socceroos coach 3-0 in their last outing, Spurs look set to take him away from Scottish football.
While Celtic would have still been a formidable opponent again next season under the ex-Yokohama Mariners manager, Rangers are clearly getting their act together under Beale and the new campaign will be much tighter.
Amid devastating injuries and an uninspired style of play under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Rangers toiled domestically, with the Dutch coach struggling to get the consistency from his team that Postecoglou got from the Parkhead side.
Under Beale, things haven’t quite been so easy for the Celtic boss – with soundbites causing plenty of friction – as Rangers racked up the points in the second half of the season. But the Gers still struggled to overcome mental hurdles in both cup competitions, as a resolute Celtic saw out two tight victories.
Rangers must retain focus on taking title from Celtic
Next season is set to be a close one and, given Postecoglou might never get the same opportunity again, with Spurs one of the Premier League’s biggest clubs, a move from Celtic is a no-brainer. It could all fall apart in an instant should Rangers do the business next year.
But this is a big blow to the Parkhead side, with their recruitment all in on Ange’s gung-ho philosophy with players from all over the planet, and particularly the far East, joining the Celtic boss in Glasgow’s eastend. It’s a tricky job to find a suitable replacement.
There’s big disruption here for sure and, as Celtic potentially face something of a rebuild of their own, it’s Rangers who have the momentum of consistency heading into next season.
While the club – and by proxy its supporters – have talked a good game for too long, Rangers clearly appear to mean business, with next season’s signings ramping up early and the club’s injured players already back in training.
The Gers have the bit between their teeth under Beale and, while we won’t go making any bold predictions, whoever walks into the Celtic job will have their work cut out next season.
The challenge for the Ibrox side is clear.
Rangers need to stay focused on what’s happening in Govan over the next few months and ensure that, whoever it is that replaces a reportedly Spurs-bound Postecoglou, they won’t have it quite as easy as the Australian did in Glasgow.
