At the end of a historic day, Celtic players were serenaded around Hampden with silverware in their hands and golden ticker tape spread across the pitch. Amidst the deafening noise filling the air, Ange Postecoglou stopped to take it all in, beating his heart in reply and smiling and clapping. His every gesture was watched with a forensic intensity as 46,000 Celtic fans attempted to interpret his body language. When asked directly about interest from Tottenham Hotspur, he replied that the time will come for those questions, suggesting that this was probably the end.
The confirmation of the treble, Postecoglou’s first and Celtic’s fifth in seven seasons, was met with joy. Kyogo Furuhashi set them on their way with his first touch, followed by Liel Abada and Jota making it 3-1. All signed by Postecoglou, these three attackers of the apocalypse weighed-in on the biggest stage.
Underlying the joy was the growing dread among Celtic people that the Postecoglou era may now be over. As soon as the cup final was over, discussions were expected to begin with Spurs and the clock is now ticking.
Postecoglou deserves a crack at the biggest stage – managing one of England’s biggest clubs in the world’s most high-profile league – as he has shown himself to be a gem. The parallels between Spurs now and Celtic before his arrival are obvious, with a broken dressing room, a disaffected support, a board of directors under siege, and a shambolic recruitment operation.
Spurs fans know little about Postecoglou and many have already written him off. However, wherever he has been, he has won people over in the end. If this is the moment that he departs Celtic, he will be leaving as a hero that the fans will never forget.