Ange Postecoglou hailed victory over Hearts with Celtic on the verge of title
The Hoops will be crowned champions if Rangers drop points tomorrow
Last updated 7th May 2022
Ange Postecoglou hailed his Celtic team for the manner of their final push towards the finishing line in the title race after a 4-1 comeback win over Hearts put them on the verge of the championship.
Postecoglou's side now have a nine-point lead and a 22-goal advantage over their city rivals with Rangers having three games left.
Postecoglou said: âI said to the boys before the game that there are many ways you can finish something off. You can collapse through the finishing tape or you can go through it at top speed. And thatâs what we want to do. Itâs what weâve been doing all year.
âWeâll go hard on Wednesday and get back here and go hard again in the last game.â
Nobody within the Celtic camp was declaring title victory but there was a celebratory feel to the post-match lap of honour.
âThere is nothing wrong with enjoying the journey," Postecoglou said. âItâs not always just about the destination.
âI thought it was a top performance from the boys and for us thatâs the greatest reward you can get, to see the joy that it brings other people.
âWhether thatâs your own family and the people who love you, or the supporters who love this football club.â
Celtic will officially be crowned as title winners on Sunday if Rangers drop points at home to Dundee United.
If Rangers do win, a Celtic win at Tannadice on Wednesday would seal the deal.
âIâll win it any old way mate, it doesnât really bother me," Postecoglou said. âFor us, whatâs important is that I think weâve earned it this year, and that we continue to earn it.
âWeâre not collapsing over the line, weâre strong, weâre committed to something. Our performances and the challenges weâre overcoming are reflecting that."
Postecoglou will not be glued to the action at Ibrox on his day off.
âAs Iâve said before, my boys take charge," he said. âThereâs a new flick out called The Bad Guys, so thatâs on the agenda, so weâll see how it goes.â
Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst had conceded the title was beyond his side the previous weekend but Celtic treated their supporters to the party atmosphere they craved following a slow start.
Ellis Simms fired Hearts ahead inside three minutes and the tension was audible inside Celtic Park but goals from Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi turned the game on its head late in the first half.
Matt O'Riley's goal midway through the second period transformed the atmosphere into one of celebration and Giorgos Giakoumakis netted in the final minute as Celtic made it 30 league games unbeaten.
"Iâm very proud of the group," Postecoglou said. "We conceded early which hasnât happened too much in this run. You think a little bit about how the group will respond to that.
âThey were outstanding again and didnât miss a beat. They stayed on course in terms of playing our football and we scored four good goals.
âYou could sense there was a nervousness, even around the stadium. But itâs always about how people deal with that. I never had any doubts, it didnât worry me, but Iâm sure people were looking to see how weâd respond.
âBut this group finds a way to respond, while not veering away from the basic values and fundamentals we have as a football team.â
Hearts manager Robbie Neilson was frustrated over the way his side conceded the equaliser after claiming Toby Sibbick was fouled by Callum McGregor before Celtic broke.
The second goal was also disputed but footage showed the ball was just over the line before Craig Gordon clawed away Furuhashi's header.
On the equaliser, Neilson said: âIt is a free-kick to be honest. I have seen it again and am pretty sure you will agree.
"These key decisions when you come here, you have got to get them. That was the disappointment with the ref. I thought it was a pretty simple one to get and he doesnât get it right.
"The second one for the goal is the right decision â borderline but right."
Neilson waited for referee Don Robertson at half-time but did not push his complaints.
âTo be honest, it is not worth it," he said. "Don was the same at Easter Road so I will just keep my mouth shut. We have a big game coming up in a couple of weeks' time."