ANGE POSTECOGLOU is desperately hoping that fans can return to Celtic Park for next Monday’s game against Hibernian, saying that football is nothing without them.

Postecoglou echoed the famous words of Jock Stein as he said that the game and the supporters are one thing, and that he doesn’t enjoy football when the fans aren’t able to attend.

That is why the Celtic manager is hoping the decision to bring forward the winter break will be fully vindicated with supporters allowed back into stadia immediately for the second half of the season.

“For me, it’s beyond talking about how important it is,” Postecoglou said. “It’s all-encompassing.

“It’s the one thing, football and supporters are not two separate entities as far as I’m concerned.

“As I said after the St Johnstone game, we won, but I didn’t really enjoy the game, and I don’t think anyone does.

“I don’t think there would be a football club around the world or a football player who wants to play in empty stadiums.

“The quicker we can stop differentiating football and supporters and just treat it as one entity [the better].

“That’s why I thought it was great that the league decided to stop for that week earlier, because it gives us a chance to get football back up and running, and for me football is supporters in the stadium.”

Meanwhile, Postecoglou says that the signings of Daizen Maeda, Yosuke Ideguchi and Reo Hatate may not be the last business he does in the transfer window, with the club ready to act should anything of interest come up.

“Look, [I expect it will be] not too busy, but we’ve got to stay agile during this period,” he said.

“We’ve had a couple of players go out on loan which I think is important, so we’re looking at the squad the whole time, and through the whole January window we’ll make sure what we’ll need, if it’s available we’ll bring it in.

“With the existing squad we’ll make sure we’re continuing to develop our football.

“I don’t expect it to be too hectic, but we’ll stay alert and make sure if the right thing comes along in terms of incomings and outgoings, we’ll be able to move.”