WHEN Celtic supporters first heard that Ange Postecoglou was in line to take over as their manager, for many, it was the first time they had heard of him at all. It hasn’t taken them long however to take the Australian to their hearts.

Whether it is the attacking style he so resolutely sticks to, or his often acerbic and consistently witty comebacks to journalists, the Celtic fans just can’t get enough of Postecoglou, and the man himself is hugely appreciative of the welcome they have given him.

“The Celtic fans have been great since I got here,” Postecoglou said. “Maybe I’ve just been lucky but I haven’t bumped into anyone, either at games or just out and about, who hasn’t been supportive.

“I said when I got the job that maybe there were supporters who weren’t quite sure about me but I know all of them would have wanted me to do well because if that happens then the club’s doing well and that’s all they want.

“Their passion and love for Celtic is there and we, as individuals, are transient figures that will contribute to the club being successful.

“I’m hoping that if they like me it’s because of what they see. Even though the results haven’t been as smooth and as consistent as we would have wanted, I’m hoping that the way the team is playing and the way we are going about things is the way they want their football team to be.

“Before I got here that, as much as people weren’t too aware of me, I know what Celtic Football Club is about. I know the history of it is, I know what supporters want to see in their football teams. That’s what I’m trying to do. And because I’m trying to do that, the supporters are behind that.

“But like every other manager who had served at this club, I’ll be judged in the end by the success or otherwise that I bring. I’m comfortable with that. Our supporters have been fantastic towards the whole team to be fair, not just to me.

“For me, it’s something that I value and cherish.”

Postecoglou’s journey at Celtic may only be in its infancy, and his team are still finding their feet as they get to grips with his unique playing style.

There are signs that it is all starting to come together, though ahead of the game against St Johnstone at Celtic Park that marks the end of the first round of league fixtures, he was reluctant to gauge their progress.

“It’s hard for me to say,” he said. “I don’t work to those kind of time schedules and I didn’t know we would get significant injuries or that some players would come in and hit the ground running while others took a little longer. You can’t know how these things will work.

“But I kind of knew that, after the second international break, we’d be more settled and that’s where we are at the moment. Our performances have shown that we’ve made some progress but how far along are we? That’s difficult to judge but we can get better and we have to get better – it’s not a process of getting to a certain point and then jumping off.

“Anyway, if we’re a quarter of the way through then that means there are still three-quarters left, with important games to play in all four competitions. Our goal is to keep improving during that period and, hopefully, be in a good place at the end of it.”