How Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic will be ''trying' to eclipse Brendan Rodgers’ invincibles as Jota in 'great space'

Targets are anathema to Ange Postecoglou. They “kind of put a ceiling on what you want to do” is how the Celtic manager perceives them.

Celtic winger Jota's "fantastic" form is one reason for Ange Postecoglou to believe is team can do something that has never been achieved in a Scottish top flight campaign. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

However, that does not mean the highest points haul by a Scottish top-flight side in a season isn’t a desired objective. The Australian wants his team to surpass the current record of 106 points, set by Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic as they claimed the treble without a domestic loss in 2016-17. Postecoglou’s side, with one league defeat and a draw the only blemishes across their opening 24 cinch Premiership encounters this season, would require to drop no more than two points in their remaining 14 fixtures to set a new best on this measure. The 57-year-old does not recoil from pursuing such near perfection, just the idea of targeting a statistical outcome.

"If I had set the target that we want to beat the team that Brendan had, then what if we’d beat it with two games to spare? Do the players think then, 'Well we have done it?'” said the Celtic manager. "It's not the way I work. I never set those targets, I never set goals. Let's just be the best we can be and see where that takes us. If it means we fall short of an Invincible team that Brendan created, then it won't be for the want of trying.

“We are not settling on anything, we just want to be the best we can be. If we keep progressing the way we are, I think it will take us to a good space. We want to be successful and whatever comes of that, it will be off the back of us focusing on how we can be the best we can be.”

Postecoglou, meanwhile, believes Jota is exhibiting form up with the best the Celtic winger has produced in Scotland. "People forget Jota had an unbelievable start to the season,” he said. “He was incredible in the first few months and then he picked up an injury [in October], and also had a bit of illness. But I would agree he has been outstanding for us in the last couple of weeks. He has looked really bright with the ball, is working hard and physically is in great shape. Mentally he is in a great space.”