Ange Postecoglou's impact on Australian football laid bare - but that will count for nothing when Hearts host Celtic

Early on in their respective careers in Scotland, there was a moment at the end of one encounter when Ange Posecoglou was pictured giving Cammy Devlin a pat on the head.

As they head into another meeting, at Tynecastle, where Celtic could claim an 11th title in 12 seasons, Devlin finds it impossible not to bestow his countryman with a metaphoric pat to the back. “He’s an Australian and I really respect what he has done for Australians and Australian football.

“I have never worked under him but watching from afar, as a kid back in Australia, seeing what he did with a couple of clubs back home and then the national team, he brought a lot of success. As a kid you looked at him and thought ‘that's really cool what he has done for some players’. He’s given Aussies that were older than me a lot of success and overseas careers. He did change the game and the dynamics of football in Australia which has, in my opinion, made football in Australia a lot better and given opportunities to kids like myself. There are a lot of other boys - four here now - and with Australian football developing, there are a lot of kids who are very good. It is just that it is the other side of the world so maybe a bit unknown.

“Then he went to Japan and did well with his club there, winning the league, and now he is at Celtic and I am up close and seeing how good they are. I didn’t know too much about who was the best team before I came - I knew all the teams but not who was winning the cups and all that. But since I have been here he has won everything except the Scottish Cup final we lost to Rangers last season.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has a word with Hearts' Cammy Devlin after a match last season. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

“I think he’s a great coach, the way they play is very entertaining, and it’s tough to play against, there’s no shying away from that.”

But while the praise is fulsome and genuine, there are limits, especially on days like this. While Celtic travel to the capital in a bid to wrap up this year’s title, Hearts are in need of the points themselves as they attempt to chase down third-placed Aberdeen or, at the very least, stave off any attempts to deny them a top-four finish.

Devlin, who re-established his midfield partnership with Peter Haring prior to the league split, will be an important factor in how successful they are and if that means putting his admiration for the Celtic boss and his treble-hunting players, the diminutive but competitive Aussie is okay with that.

“I got to meet him last year and say hello and if I see any Aussie doing well in any sport I’m buzzing for them. But I’m not playing for him, I’m playing against him and trying to get one over him.

Hearts midfielder Cammy Devlin is a big admirer of Celtic manager, and fellow Australian, Ange Postecoglou. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group)

“Unfortunately I haven’t been able to do that so far, it would be great. And it’s not just to get one over him because he’s Australian, it’s because I want to win games with Hearts. Whether that’s against him, or any team, I just want to win. And this is my next chance.

“In the position we are in just now, we need to win football games if we are to end up in third spot. There is no shying away from that.

“And if Celtic beat us this Sunday then they will win the league at our home ground, which is not ideal and not something we want. But it is about us, we want to win to climb up the table and if that means they don’t get to win the league against us, then that’s ok. It means we will have another three points and that would be ideal.”

Hearts came out on top in Postecoglou’s first league match as Celtic boss, in July 2021, but since then the head to head record has been very one-sided. The teams have faced off eight times in all competitions, with the Glasgow outfit winning all eight, netting 22 goals and conceding eight.

But Hearts’ interim boss Steven Naismith believes they have identified vulnerabilities and says his men can exploit them if they take a leaf out of their rivals’ books and stay true to their gameplan.

“Football is a game where you get tested all the time. Not every game is perfect and there are moments that it does not go to plan. It’s how you deal with them.

“Since I’ve come in, the reason Hearts dropped points is that they stopped doing the things that they were comfortable doing to get them into third, and collect so many points. You go away from that because pressure comes, because confidence drops. For me, it’s, 'this is what we’re doing’, you need to be brave enough to play the same passes that we know will cause teams problems. There is bravery in that.”

With such a wealth of strength in depth, Naismith is aware of the dangers Celtic can pose as they freshen the pack after the hour mark in games but is determined to view that as opening rather than something to be afraid of.

“It is something they have done very regularly and consistently but we need to see it as an opportunity. I know as a player when you come on as a sub that you are not up to speed in the game. You need to get up to the tempo of the game so that's an opportunity for us to, ‘right, this has happened, we now need to test these and say, are you ready for this game’.

“Celtic are going to ask us questions, are we good enough to defend, are we good enough to keep the ball? But, for me that’s a moment that we can ask them the question.”