Ange Postecoglou's Celtic Q+A in full: Kyogo back in squad, Desmond's interview and not 'tripping ourselves up'

How do you approach each game now, have you got to just keep the players in the same mindset and not get carried away?

I haven't had the need to do that or think about that because the behaviour of the players hasn't really changed. Even preceding last week, I've said all along, we kind of know what our process is and what we need to do every week. Every game is a different challenge. Every game has a bit of edge to it, particularly when you get to the end of the season. So I've said the last couple of weeks that, for me, the indicator is training and we've got everyone trained and everyone training well, (it's) super competitive. They all want to play. Any thoughts of them preparing themselves to the best of their ability to be ready for the game tomorrow, I haven't seen anything other than that.

I think a lot the fans got excited last week when you said that Kyogo (Furuhashi) was fit. Is he ready now to play and maybe make an appearance tomorrow?

Yeah, he was fit last week in the end it was a judgement call on my behalf to maybe be ab little bit conservative with him but he's trained all week. I was keen for him to have a full week of training. Yeah, he's alright to go. He'll be involved tomorrow, 100 per cent he'll be part of the squad.

And James Forrest?

Yeah, James is probably another week we're hoping. He's got closer but he's the only one that's not really available for tomorrow.

Would it be fair to say that you're heading into your most important stretch of the season with your squad in arguably the best shape it's been?

It's not arguably - it is. Yeah, absolutely. I said last week, I think it's the healthiest we've been all year in terms of players available in good condition and ready to play. That's great for us because it maintains training levels and maintains the boys' focus every day. So from that perspective, we're in good shape. The January window was important one for us in terms of just it allowed us to bolster up the squad, but also allowed us to share some game-time and get some guys back like Kyogo, Dave Turnbull and others without having to rush them. So for the final stretch, we're in good shape.

Giorgos Giakoumakis won play of the month for March and has really stepped up in the absence of Kyogo... how important is he and how important will he be in this run-in?

They're all important. I think what you've seen in our season so far is that whenever we needed people to step up and take the opportunity, they've done that. Earlier in the year it was different players to now. It's different ones stepping up. The one undeniable fact is that it's been a collective effort. We haven't had to rely on one person to an extent where missing them meant our form dipped. Giakoumakis had a great month for sure but others had great months before that and leading into this this final bit the key will be that we've got a really good, strong, healthy squad and they're all wanting to play and the contributions will come from everyone.

At six points clear at the top, is it is it difficult to keep the boys focused on the next challenge that is St Johnstone because in some instances, perhaps, there might be some players that subliminally might have a 'job-done mentality'? 

Well if subliminally they're feeling that way, they won't play on Saturday because they'll stand out in training. I've got 24 or 25 guys who are desperate to play, desperate to be involved, desperately wanting to contribute. So you can't roll up to this training and be thinking about anything else or thinking about any 'job done', irrespective of who you are. The training won't allow it; the players themselves won't allow it. They're pushing the limits every day. I've consistently said we want to be playing our best football this time of the year irrespective of who we're up against and that's that's our aim. That's our ambition. If any kind of that that thinking creeps into anybody, they'll get left behind and they'll really stand out in this group, in this environment. And at this point in time, no one is doing that.

What kind of challenge are you expecting from St Johnstone? They're fighting for their lives at the bottom, but they have picked up a bit over the last few weeks...

Our last few games have been against similar type of opponents. We played Livingston in good form, Ross County in good form. As you said, St. Johnstone are in good form. Every game is a challenge but you can't discount the fact that we're in good form (too) so that's where our focus lies. We just keep making sure that every gameday we bring out the best in ourselves, play our football, set the tone and tempo. We're at home. We need to be strong. They're fighting for their lives. We're fighting for something else. There's always a fight out there. What we've got to keep doing is every weekend making sure that we're putting our best foot forward as we've done.

Do you find that teams down the bottom tend to be harder to play against when they are fighting for their lives?

We go into every game thinking that the opposition are going to be at their best - now whether they are or not, we don't go in there thinking that they're going to be more desperate in this game than they may be in the following week. Because once you prepare yourself or you think about things in that manner, that means that our focus shifts. So at this game, this stage of the year, every game has got an edge to it irrespective of who you're playing against and whether they're fighting for relegation, fighting for a European spot, fighting for the top half or fighting for a championship all these things at the end of the year are real, and they add an edge to every game. We've known that now for the last couple of months and that's why for us it's been really important that through this time we prepare ourselves the best we can. The reason we've been that consistent is that we don't go into any game thinking that maybe the opposition might be a bit off today because of X, Y or Z. St Johnstone have got  a fantastic manager that had a great year last year. They've struggled a bit this year, but we know how difficult they are. We had a difficult game against them at Hampden in the cup so we're preparing for them to be at their best. But what we know is that if we're at our best then we are hard to stop.

Giorgos Giakoumakis said he stands by his comments made earlier in the season about Celtic being the best team - is that kind of confidence that you encourage in your players?

I don't tell people what to think. The one thing we always say to our players - what I say to them anyway - is that you just speak from the heart, you speak what you feel is the truth in your own mind. It's not about just saying things that might please or upset other people. It's just if you're asked the question, be as honest as possible. That's what I try and do and it's what I encourage the players to do - whatever they feel they should say. I don't think there's any harm in that. I don't think there's anything wrong in that. People sort of get carried away and think that by saying that Giorgos, or anyone else saying that, feels like we're a good team and that people are going to use that as motivation against us. If that's what people need to get up against us, then I think they're missing the key of what we're about.

How do you keep the players focused just one game at a time especially being so close to the end with just six games?

If I had to worry about those things right now, we wouldn't be in this position because, as people are aware, after around six we knew we had to be perfect. If we were worried about consequences of games or looking too far ahead we would have tripped ourselves up well before now. Our focus has been on playing every game on its merits trying to win every game of football knowing there's three points on the line or if it's a cup competition, for us to continue. And once we get that done, then we move on to the next one. And that will continue to happen till the end of the season. And once we hit the end of the season and we're done and dusted, where we end up is where we end up.

How's the mood around the players been this week? Has there been an extra spring in the step given what happened last weekend?

No, it's been pretty normal. Maybe I'm not a great barometer of moods or mood swings, mate. I kind of keep to myself so maybe they're partying and I don't know, maybe they've got discoballs and dancing around. Unlikely I'd say but what I look at is how we train and how we present ourselves every day as a group. And when I see them out there I haven't seen any change whatsoever from the way we're prepared for the last game, we've prepared exactly the same way for this game.

Do you still think Karamoko Dembele has a part to play in the first team between now and the end of the season?

I mean, that depends. Luckily with him we can get him some game-time in the B team, Johnny Kenny's another one. They're training with us every day but, as I said, training's super competitive. We've got 26 or 27 players who all want to be not just part of the first team but part of the squad on the weekend and we've got some fantastic players missing out on the squad. Stephen Welsh has been outstanding for us this year and unfortunately we can't fit him into the squad at the moment because of the balance, but that's how competitive it is. So whether it's Karamoko or anyone else in this group, the only way of thinking that they can go with is to just be ready, train hard every day and be ready. I don't know whether he'll be involved. I don't know about any players. What we do as we approach every game is I try and select the team and squad that I think will get the job done for us every week. We do that then we analyse it and we do the same thing the following week. All the players every day are in front of me and have an opportunity to show the best they can be and then it's up to me to make those decisions. So, as I say, with Karamoko he's training with us every day. It's great he can play with the B tea, they've got some good games coming up. Tomorrow and then Tuesday. Johnny Kenny (is in a) similar boat so with that game-time it gives them another opportunity to be ready if the opportunity arises.

Celtic released an interview today with Dermot Desmond. He was pleased with how you approached the management position when it was open in the summer. One of the big quotes was, you said you'd walk 500 miles to manage Celtic. If you had to choose a song to sum up the season so far, have you got one for us?

No and, to be fair, I did just say it I didn't sing it just so people are fully aware. No, not really, mate. The creative side of my brain is not the strongest particularly this time of the year. I've been very fortunate since I've got this role. As I keep saying, I've just felt totally supported from day one. And it's been really important for me to do what I need to do because, as people are aware, I came in by myself and that can feel fairly isolating if you don't get support straight away. I've been really fortunate the fans have been unbelievable towards me, the staff here, the players, but that includes the management and the board, Dermot. He rang me after we lost against Hearts the first day and he said "Ange, I can see what you're trying to do". He said "all I'll say is your first assessment will come at the end of the year, nothing will happen before then so you just keep doing what you're doing". I don't need people to tell me that but I can't do what I do without support. With Michael Nicholson and people like Chris Mackay and others in management right behind me, the board right behind me. Peter Lawwell has been really supportive since I've got here. So, yeah, I think part of the reason that I've been able to do what I do is I felt really supported by everyone involved in the club from day one. And I know that externally that didn't always look the case because of who I was and people weren't aware of who I was it may have felt like, you know, I was unsteady in those early times, but at no point di I think people are trying to second guess me here. I mean, it wouldn't have worked the way I want it to if that happened. I'm pretty good at making my views clear to people I'm with but you still need that support. The support I've had this year from everybody - from fans to players, staff, management, board has been outstanding and I sit here today on the foundation of the fact that these people were prepared to back me right from the start.

We were all very concerned by the incidents which marred the (Rangers) game on Sunday, including an injury to a member of staff and objects being thrown on the pitch.... was there a point you thought 'this is getting a bit hairy' and would you have endorsed taking players off the field or players walking off the field had the situation deteriorated further? 

From my perspective, whenever those kind of things have happened - and during my career I've been involved in times where things have gotten out of hand -after the game it was disappointing what happened with both our member of staff and the glass on the pitch - apart from that I thought the atmosphere was was unbelievable. Our 700 were making noise, their crowd was making noise. It was a great atmosphere and we're spoiled but we also have a responsibility on the field to be understanding and measured in our approach to how we deal with these things. We can't, as players and participants in the event, be as emotional as everyone else is in those circumstances. When those things happen, I put the responsibility on the people in charge, the authorities, to deal with them as quickly as possible, as expediently as possible with the due safety of everyone involved. So I'm not going to get involved as it's not my area and that's where people get it wrong. I have a pretty clear responsibility with my football club and I take that seriously. So if something comes across my desk that I'm responsible for, I'll make sure it's addressed. If it's something that's outside my control, my role then is to make sure that those people address it in the right way. I think the game at the weekend, it was addressed as quickly as we possibly could. It was dealt with, we got on with the game and hopefully now the authorities will deal with the people who were the culprits.

Bodo/Glimt beat Roma last night and now have one foot in the Europa Conference League semi-finals. They have a fraction of Celtic's budget, but they're clearly doing something very, very right. What can we learn from that and does their success story give you the confidence that we can replicate that sort of form in Europe next season? 

I don't think that's where our ambitions lay. They've done extremely well, as you said.  I don't buy into this budget stuff too much. I've charted my whole career on being able to achieve things without necessarily having all the resources. I don't think that's always  the answersfor everything. It certainly helps you in many cases, but our ambitions lie beyond what other clubs are doing. I've got no interest in it, to be honest. I don't really care. What I want to see is us being the best we can be and we've got markers of things we've done in the past as a football club. That's your reference point. Not any other club. We don't have to be anyone else. We don't have to follow anyone else. We don't have to compare ourselves to anyone else. We are who we are. We've got historical references of how good we can be and the impact we can make, domestically and in Europe. That should always chart our course forward.