Everything Ange Postecoglou said to Celtic TV in a midweek preview of the Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers...

How much did you enjoy Saturday's win over St Johnstone?

Yeah, you feel satisfaction that we played a really good game of football. From start to finish there are a lot of things we want to try and achieve every week. Sometimes some things work, others don't. But it all came together really well. Coming off a big game the week before people are always looking for what kind of reaction in terms of the team and the way we set up but the boys were at it from the first minute. Yeah, hugely pleasing - obviously with the result, but also the performance.

You were asked before the game about how you thought the team would respond. I think that result was the answer...

Yeah, exactly. And I can understand people asking me that question because they go from game to game - but they are not here every day. I see how the players are training and how they're preparing, how focused they are. I knew that the previous result had been put to bed and they were looking forward to the next contest and the next game. That was the game on the weekend and I think they responded accordingly.

We've seen games before (when the team have) scored a lot of goals but the feeling from the crowd was that it was actually the performance that they were really enjoying?

I think so. And I think the quality of our goals as well. You know, I think there were some really good team goals in there - stuff that we constantly try to reinforce with the players - and contributions from everybody. I think from the fans' point of view, they saw a team that is committed to playing the game a certain way and, irrespective of the scoreline or the situation, they'll continue to do that. They appreciate it.

The second goal Matt O'Riley scored had about 41 or 42 passes [47]. You always say there's a reason you play the way you do: because you know it's successful. Was that a microcosm where it's like 'we play this way because there's an end purpose and there's an end product'?

Yeah, that's kind of the end goal. You're doing things for a reason - and that reason is to kind of create a foundation for playing the game a certain way. That's a goal where we kept the ball for quite a while and kept the opposition moving. There have been other times we've been more direct and counter-attacked. So it's not about one type of how we're going to play it's within the foundation we've created that, if the opposition are going to sit off us and give us time and move the ball around, then we can wait for our opportunity to score. If they come and press us we'll find a more direct way. But I guess as the players get more and more comfortable you can see that they're creating their own sort of ways of overcoming the opposition.

Can you give us a fitness update on the squad? We saw Giorgos Giakoumakis having to come off in the first half on Saturday...

Nothing concrete yet. Again, we're still waiting on the final scans on it. Hopefully it's not too bad. He feels like it's not too bad. But until we get the information we won't know. Similar with David Turnbull, he obviously got a pretty hard knock. It's only a couple of days after so we'll see how it all settles down. With both, I'm hoping it's not too lengthy an absence.

With a week to prepare for the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden, is that a real benefit having the full week to work with the guys?

Look, it's a benefit because we'll use it that way. You know, depends on what you're doing those days. For us it's not about 'we've got a week so we can sort of relax' it's a week where we can put solid work into the players. Now if we had a game that would still work the same way. I think our battle at the start of year was that we didn't have a robust and strong enough squad to cope sometimes with three games in a week and keep levels up. But with the squad we've got now I'd be confident if we had midweek games, it wouldn't affect our performance on the weekend. But having a full week just allows us to really work hard with the boys and prepare and play our football. Because we've got that extra time we're going to use it.

That approach has always been for you 'the next game is the most important' but is there also a balance because you want the players to embrace the fact it is a big occasion but want them to play the game and not the occasion, as it were?

It's a cup semi-final so there's meaning on the end of it. There's consequences on the end of it. Every cup game you play, if you want to progress you got to perform on the day and you got to get the job done on the day. There's no second chances and particularly in the semi-final it's going to be a tough game. It's going to be an unbelievable atmosphere and you know the players know the occasion - I don't have to disguise or dress it up in any other way that it's going to be a massive game with massive consequences and it's exactly where we want to be.

There's going to be a 50-50 split in terms of the crowd so that gives the players a different experience of that fixture...

A different experience, a bit of a unique one and, again, something to embrace and experience. It's what we all want to be involved in. We want to be involved in these kinds of games where at the end of it hopefully you make good memories that last beyond your lifetime. So that's the opportunity that exists and, like I said, that's the one we're looking forward to.

The last derby had a positive impact on the league campaign. Fans look back and try to think what the impact could be in the next game... will that have any impact on the approach or how you're looking at the game?

I don't think so, because it's a cup semi. You kinda know that, irrespective of previous form or previous encounters with the same team, it just becomes irrelevant. There's always an edge to these kinds of games. You only have to remember the League Cup semi against St Johnstone - super tight game and James Forrest comes on and wins it for us. So, you know, these kinds of games have always been - irrespective of form, irrespective of ladder position, even irrespective of previous games -  tight, tense and physical. They've got everything you need and that's what makes them such memorable affairs. And we'll be prepared for it.