Paul Merson sends Celtic a backhanded compliment as pundit claims 'lesser' stars had Ange working Parkhead miracle

Paul Merson loved Ange Postecoglou's work at Celtic - but his Aussie praise comes with downplaying the talent he worked with.

The Tottenham boss takes on Chelsea next Monday with his side riding high at the top of the Premier League after an undefeated 10-game start. His high-pressing style with attacking flair has won plenty of plaudits but Celtic fans know all about it, after stars like Kyogo, Reo Hatate and more turn bonified Parkhead heroes with several performances off the top shelf.

Pundit Merson has assessed Postecoglou's style in North London and insists the quality of Tottenham's stars almost guaranteed success. But it wasn't as easy at Celtic with players who he thinks are of a worse quality. He told Sky: "Postecoglou comes across as a normal bloke. People can relate to him and he just seems like an extremely likeable man. I like what he's doing for Spurs on the pitch too. I like the way they are playing.

"I said when he got the job that it was an amazing appointment by Spurs. I saw Celtic play enough times under him to know he'd do well. To get Celtic playing like they did, and I know people will say it is against lesser teams, but he was getting lesser players to play in that way.

"Trust me, that's hard. Now, at Spurs, he has better players to work with so you know it's going to be a success. Spurs are playing well.

"They are on a 10-game unbeaten run in the league which is no mean feat. However, there are some big tests on the way, starting with Chelsea."