'Packed bags last year': Celtic boss on Rangers psychological warfare and how he 'took a moment' after title

Manager Ange Postecoglou addresses the fans at Celtic Park after the title success.

Nevertheless, going there as freshly crowned champions with a target of securing a fourth successive win over their Rangers forms an appealing prospect for Ange Postecoglou's men. It’s very much a sortie into enemy territory since Celtic will have none of their own fans present as they take on their rivals in the final Old Firm match of the season.

The meeting might not matter much in terms of league positions but it can go one of two ways for Rangers. A first win at the fifth attempt against Celtic would be a source of huge personal relief for Rangers manager Michael Beale, who has endured three defeats and earned just one draw in four clashes since taking over in November.

Alternatively, failing to beat a Celtic side with little to play for except Scottish Cup final places would represent a grievous blow to morale ahead of next season. Postecoglou has been quick to dismiss any such attempt to analyse the outcome of this afternoon's meeting in the context of next season. He doesn’t buy the psychological warfare theory that Rangers cannot afford to lose once again, especially given the changes set to be implemented at Ibrox by Beale as he seeks to put his own mark on the team. Postecoglou argues that next season is next season and both teams will start on zero points. He suffered defeat in his own Old Firm debut when many were already writing him off.

“It doesn’t concern me,” said Postecoglou. “If I got wrapped up in that stuff about mental scars I would have packed my bags last year. You take each one on an individual basis and when one is done and dusted, you move along to the next one. You can’t rest on your laurels in this kind of game and think one side is in the ascendancy. For us it’s about playing well in this one. We want to continue our form, finish strongly and prepare for the Cup final. Next season we all start at zero. You don’t take any points with you for what you’ve done this year.”

If Celtic triumph for a fourth time in succession against Rangers it will match the longest run of victories in the fixture since 2004, when Martin O’Neill’s team strung together seven wins. However, don’t expect Postecoglou to attach much significance to such statistics. He has consistently rejected talk of breaking this and that record with Celtic four wins away from reaching 107 points, which would stand as the best-ever points tally in Scottish football history. “If I changed my tune and said it was important now, then people would wonder why I said it wasn’t before,” he said.

But he did allow himself some to enjoy last week’s title success at Tynecastle as well as the party later on back at Celtic Park, although it didn't really sink in until he returned home with his family. “I did take a moment,” he said. “I got home with the wife and kids and it was nice to sit back and reflect a little bit. The players have set unbelievable standards and been at an unbelievable level for a very long time."