Celtic's Ange Postecglou: "This is the team we want to be, and our supporters want us to be"

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou believes another three-goal haul in an away game in Europe provides further justification for the expansive approach he will take into every away assignment.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - NOVEMBER 04: Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou congratulates his players after they once more found their goal touch on the road in Europe to earn a crucial 3-2 Europa League win away to Ferencvaros. (Photo by Laszlo Szirtesi/Getty Images)

Celtic’s 3-2 Europa League victory over Ferencvaros in Hungary didn’t just guarantee some form of European football post-Christmas, and keep them in contention for progressing from Group G. It meant, for a third time in four away games, Celtic have been free scoring in unfamiliar soil in cross border competition - their last four away encounters at this level seeing them rack up 11 goals in total, with Postecoglou’s potent front three Kyogo Furuhashi, Jota and Liel Abada all producing sumptuous finishes in Budapest. Indeed, following on from the 4-3 loss away to Real Betis in their last group game on the road, the Hungarian success means they have score three goals or more in consecutive away games in an actual European competition – that is, not qualifiers – since 1970. And Postecoglou dismissed any suggestions that their open approach resulted in a nervy ending following the concession of a false-complexion creating 86th minute counter.

“I don’t think it was nervy, it was disappointing to lose a second goal at the end there but the fact that we can come away from home and score three goals shows we can get at teams. I still think that is the way forward for us and the kind of team we want to be, and the kind of team our supporters want us to be,” he said.

“Our objective tonight was to get maximum points and keep us alive in the group, and full credit to the boys. I thought we played really well, scored three great goals and could have had a couple of more. I don’t think losing the second one was a true reflection of how we played tonight and full credit to the players.

“[Our front three] were great tonight. But we set a platform for them. We don’t discount the fact that our ability to play out from the back creates good opportunities rather than just knocking it long. They worked awfully hard in the defensive sense and they don’t always get their rewards so it was great for all three to score tonight. And three quality goals too.”

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