CELTIC manager Ange Postecoglou admits there was little room for error in the transfer market after he took charge of the Parkhead club last summer.
The Greek-Australian as overseen a complete overhaul of the playing squad in Glasgow’s east end and the vast majority have hit the ground running in their new environment.
The likes of Joe Hart, Josip Juranovic, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Carl Starfelt, Reo Hatate, Matt O’Riley, Liel Abada, Jota and Kyogo Furuhashi have all arrived in the last year and made a quick impression in the starting XI.
With so many new faces joining up with the squad, Postecoglou’s strike rate in the market has been remarkable. But the Celtic boss insists that he hasn’t been surprised that just about all of his acquisitions have so far contributed effectively to the team.
“No....I don't say that dismissively,” Postecoglou said. “It's not an exact science and it's not always about the money, there's plenty of clubs around the world spend a hell of a lot of money and don't get it right.
“The reason I was confident was because it's been part of my whole career. I had a clear idea of the kind of football we wanted to play and I am pretty good at identifying the type of players who will fit into my system, which means I can eliminate a lot.
“That's sometimes where the tricky bit comes, you might have five or six players and how do you distinguish when they are all good players and have something to offer, I have always backed myself that more often than not – not always – I will get it right because I see them fitting into a style of play and system that's super clear to me.
“That part of it I can crystallise into reality. I was confident, for example, that Kyogo would make a hell of an impact here because I knew he would fit my style of football, I knew the kind of player he was.
“Without it being a 100 per cent guarantee, there was a good chance of success there and that would then buy me the faith and trust of people to continue on.”
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