Football punters were happy on Sunday as Celtic justified favouritism by seeing off arch-rivals Rangers in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden. The Glasgow side will now face Inverness Caledonian Thistle in next month’s final, and after a superb season, it’s no surprise that the bookmakers already strongly fancy the Hoops to lift the trophy. And if you fancy having a bet on the Scottish Cup Final, check out the latest betting odds from the top list of online bookmakers in Australia before placing your wagers.
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Celtic are now on the brink of sealing another domestic treble, having already won the League Cup and on the brink of winning the Scottish Premiership. And the man who has been instrumental in this season’s success is a man well-known to Australian football fans – ex-Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou.
Postecoglou has an impressive coaching resume, having achieved success with South Melbourne, Brisbane Roar, Melbourne Victory, Yokohama F. Marinos, and the Socceroos, who won the Asian Cup under his leadership. He joined Celtic in the summer of 2021 and has quickly returned them to the dominant force of Scottish football.
Despite some initial scepticism about his appointment at Celtic, Postecoglou has proven himself a world-class manager, capable of building a successful team and imposing a winning culture.
He has rebuilt Celtic from a jaded squad that meekly surrendered the chance of 10 consecutive titles under previous boss Neil Lennon to a high-intensity side that has a never-say-die attitude. Yes, he has been given the funds to buy players, but he has spent wisely and utilised his knowledge of the Japanese game to sign players such as Reo Hatate and Kyogo Furhashi, and Daizen Maeda, who already look destined for big-money moves.
The question now is, what lies ahead for Postecoglou? Perhaps he has his sights set on more trophies with Celtic. Alternatively, he may be tempted by the lure of managing in the English Premier League. Several Premier League clubs need rejuvenation, and Postecoglou’s success at Celtic makes him an attractive candidate.
Two potential destinations for Postecoglou could be Liverpool and West Ham, given their connections to Australia and the possible need for a new manager. Despite winning the Premier League title in 2020, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool squad have looked stale and flat this season, while David Moyes is seemingly struggling to get the best out of an expensively-assembled West Ham team.
Or could Chelsea or Tottenham come knocking on Ange’s door – both London clubs are shockingly out of form this season and know that their next managerial appointment will be vital to keep their fans onside after a string of poor managerial recruitments.
However, despite his impressive resume, would one of the top English sides take a chance on Postecoglou? Steven Gerrard moved from Rangers to Aston Villa in a deal that didn’t work out, and there could be arrogance among some Premier League teams that an Australian coach in charge of a Scottish team is not the man they want. And, of course, whether Ange would wish to move at this stage of his career is unknown, but his success so far suggests he would be more than capable of rising to the challenge.
