How Ange Postecoglou exorcised his demons and overcame self doubts to lead Celtic to brink of title success

What Ange Postecoglou exudes above all is a sense of utter conviction in his approach to football management.

Yet, the Australian, named today as the Scottish Football Writers Association manager of the year, doesn’t mind confessing such self-confidence was profoundly tested by the invidious circumstances of his arrival at Celtic last June. The 56-year-old wasn’t just a fall-back following the failed, protracted courtship of Eddie Howe. It seemed as if he was destined to be a fall guy; an uninspiring, unknown - despite consistent success in 20 years on the trackside - hauled halfway across the world from a post in Japan with little time to effect the wholesale changes to the disintegrating squad that had been culpable for Celtic’s bid of a 10th consecutive title coming apart at the seams.

In such a scenario, seven days confined to a small space alone with your thoughts, would appear a shortcut to becoming racked with destructive neurosis. For the singular Postecoglou, though, quarantine only fuelled his quest; allowed him to “exorcise demons” as a precursor to doing the same for a club that seemed bedevilled last season but which he is set to anoint with a 10th title in 11 seasons following a Premier Sports League Cup win in December.

"You understand there's a massive responsibility as manager of this club, and know there's a fairly major rebuild needed. I got my head round that pretty early,” he said. “I had a week of isolation in the hotel room, where I could exercise all my demons and any doubts I had in terms of the enormity it. Once I got here, I didn't have time to think about it too much because what happens then is it becomes overwhelming if you think about everything you need to do. It was step-by-step, trying