Ange Postecoglou warns Celtic players he will not accept 45-minute performances

Ange Postecoglou told his Celtic players he will not accept 45-minute performances after a second-half surge saw them beat Raith Rovers 4-0 at Parkhead.

The Hoops boss was evidently unhappy with his team in the first half of their Scottish Cup fifth-round tie in which they went ahead with a Liam Scales strike.

The home side, helped by a series of substitutions, improved after the break and further goals from Giorgos Giakoumakis, replacement Daizen Maeda and stand-in skipper Nir Bitton – putting the rebound in after Jamie MacDonald had saved his penalty – put gloss on the scoreline.

However, the former Australia manager was unimpressed by the efforts before the interval.

He said: “The way we set up and play our football, I forgive everything from mistakes, people making bad decisions.

“But I just won’t cop people just putting in a 45-minute shift. That’s not what it’s about.

“That’s when my frustration comes out. I just feel every time you put the shirt on there’s a price to pay for it.

“That price is you give everything you have for the time you are out there, within the context of how we play.

“They are not hamstrung. They get plenty of freedom out there, and we played some outstanding stuff in the second half.

“But you are not going to do that if you are looking for a comfortable afternoon. There were too many doing that in the first half.

“My sense is it was a collective thing. Maybe it was the way I prepared them for the game.

“Maybe it’s just the fact we’re on such a good run and people keep talking about momentum.

“Things are going so well, psychologically people think things are just going to happen – but they won’t.

“The subs came on and made and an impact – but that’s their job.

“The last half an hour was just