'You are kidding me?' - Ange Postecoglou caught off guard by Celtic milestone he will set at Livingston

The little milestones can suggest so much.

The troubled start to Ange Postecoglou’s life as Celtic manager allows the Australian a gentle barb in the direction of the naysayers he encountered on pitching up in Glasgow over a landmark that awaits him on Sunday.

His team’s arduous assignment away to Livingston on Sunday will represent his 50th game in charge. That isn’t nothing. His match longevity at the helm of the Parkhead club has already usurped Tony Mowbray, Lou Macari and John Barnes. Within a couple of outings, it will eclipse this measure for Josef Venglos and Wim Jansen.

Yet, Postecoglou’s determination to craft a club - not just a team - that prospers in the long haul hasn’t merely allowed him to transform an unpromising beginning into the current situation - wherein his League Cup winning side are the box set for the cinch Premiership title going into the final nine games. The 56-year-old’s mindset in embarking on his construction work was that he was building for a decade in charge of Celtic. He has more on his plate than chalking up the games he has navigated in his current role, so was blindsided in being told the half century is now imminent. For Postecoglou it is quality not quantity that counts, which is why the landmark does mean something to him.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou will take charge of his 50th match at Livingston on Sunday. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

"You are kidding me? I wasn't aware but it doesn't surprise me. It feels like 50,” he said of his about-to-be banked Celtic match total. "The fact we have played 50 games already probably sums up the season it's been so far. It's been full on but immensely enjoyable. I am glad I got to 50, there were probably a few people who didn't think I would! I am pleased to be there. I am more than aware of my perilous existence…Or that of every other manager.

“It's not something I look at too closely. What is more important is, what have you done in those 50 games? That is more important to me than just hitting the 50-mark. Have we made progress as a team and a club in the way I want? Are we in better shape than we were? If we are ticking these boxes, then it's a great milestone to reach. Hopefully I can get to 100 and say the same things - that we have progressed, are playing better football and getting success. I don't take it for granted. Just look at the Premiership this year and a number of clubs changing managers. We are not going to be here forever, but I don't just use years as a marker. What we have done is more important. We are going okay after 50 games, so I am happy.

"Everythin g I do I assume I will be here for the next 10 years. The reality is I probably won't be. But every decision I make and everything I do is for the long term. That is how I have always approached my career. I don't worry about how long I am going to stay or lengths of contracts, I make decisions that I think will set the club up in the best possible shape for years to come. I have never been one to choose the short-term approach and change my way of doing things. But I do know that, at this football club, we had to have success this year. That was clear in my mind. Being successful is still our main aim, but it was also about building a side for the medium to long term. That's how I always work.”

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