The unwanted 75 year record that has scarred Ange Postecoglou's Celtic start

Ange Postecoglou will hope the reshaping of his Celtic squad he has stepped up with the recruitment of Joe Hart and James McCarthy helps precipitate a turnaround in on-field fortunes.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou cuts a frustrated figure during the 2-1 defeat away to Hearts in the club's cinch Premiership opener that left him winless in his first three competitive games as has befallen no man to take charge of the club since 1946. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

The Australian, who leads his team into their Europa League third round qualifying opening leg away to Czech side Jablonec on Thursday, needs that without delay. For with the 2-1 defeat away to Hearts in the cinch Premiership he has become the first man to take charge of Celtic competitively not to secure a win across his first three matches in charge for 75 years. Jimmy McGrory, as competitive football resumed post-war in August 1946, was the last man to suffer such a fate. McGrory failed to win any of his first five matches.

Since then, Celtic have had 17 permanent manger stints, four interim spells, two caretaker periods and one season of an acting manager (Sean Fallon in 1974-75, as Jock Stein recovered from a near fatal car crash) when such a three-game sequence has been avoided.

Few, it should be said, required to start, or play out, their varying Celtic tenures with Champions League qualifiers – the 1-1 draw in the home leg of the second round tie with Midtjylland followed by last Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat to leave Postecoglou still searching for a first victory.

Equally, it should be noted that few have taken over in such invidious circumstances, with the 55-year-old inheriting a Celtic shorn of a host of senior players complicit in the bid for a tenth straight title turning to dust as Rangers ran away with the championship by a 25-point margin.

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