Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou doesn't blanche at seeing iconic record as target

He may have revealed himself to be a man who won’t become starry-eyed over stats.

Yet Ange Postecoglou doesn’t dismiss the significance of the sequence that his Celtic side have put together in a first season at the helm that began with little promise as the Australian comprehensively reshaped his squad. Instead, he is comfortable suggesting his team should have in their sights on a best in the entire history of the Scottish game. Celtic will look to rack up their 31st domestic game without defeat when they host Ross County on Saturday. There have been a raft of such runs in the 20s since Rangers enjoyed a 36-match stretch without loss in domestic football across the 1992-93 season. However, in the 29-years since, only Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic invincibles have bettered the current total of Postecoglou’s men. In avoiding domestic defeat for a season and a half between 2016 and 2017, Rodgers’ team set a new record of 69 games for such a measure by a club in this country since organised football began 149 years ago with the 1873-74 Scottish Cup.

“There’s nothing bad about that – it gives you something to aim for,” said the Celtic manager, whose cinch Premiership leaders will look to complete six months without defeat in national competitions when facing the Highlanders. “I think what’s more important is we have to continue to improve as a team. We are taking our first steps and it’s only been nine months. But this has given us a good platform to improve. I’m sure there are more challenges ahead and we need to tackle them in the same way we have so far.

“I don’t discount [this being the second longest domestic run in 29 years]. That’s why I am so proud of everyone’s efforts. I don’t know which teams have been on these runs