ANGE POSTECOGLOU is certain his Celtic players will get their rewards if they can maintain the level of performance they have shown in their opening Champions League group stage matches.
The Celtic manager felt that his men deserved more than the single point they garnered from their trip to Warsaw to take on Shakhtar Donetsk, being forced to settle for a 1-1 draw in a match they dominated for large spells.
Postecoglou was delighted though with the application of his team and their commitment to playing his style of football, and that it is only a matter of time before victories at this level will follow.
“I think the performance was excellent,” Postecoglou said.
“It’s obviously always difficult at this level to dominate games but I thought we started the game really well and scored our goal. They got one on the counter attack but I thought we regrouped really well after that and in the second half we were in control.
“The performance was excellent. Obviously the result was not reflective of that but I thought in the whole game the players gave everything and that’s all I can ask for.
“We needed that second goal and we had good chances to get it. From my perspective I can’t ask for more from them. We will get our rewards if we keep playing that kind of football and showing that sort of commitment.
“I think more significant than the point is the performance. It is the highest level of club football, every game is pressurised, every moment of every game is important. I just thought there was real growth in our team and in the way we handled it all.”
Postecoglou was also pleased that mentally, his men handled the small period of adversity they experienced in the game after Shakhtar had levelled, and emerged to dominate once more after the break.
“You definitely have to earn everything at this level,” he said.
“Every point and every win will take maximum effort from us and for us to be at our best. The players really embraced the fact we will have to be at our best all the time for everything we get.
“At this level I think that is encouraging. It’s encouraging for me and it’s encouraging for the players.”
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