Postecoglou would be a fine fit for Spurs – Celtic should wish him well if he leaves

The thing about speculation is that those who bemoan it often have it within their capabilities to remove its very existence. The more Ange Postecoglou talked about his focus solely being on a Scottish Cup final between Celtic and Inverness Caledonian Thistle, the prospect of a move to Tottenham Hotspur increased.

Postecoglou will argue he was only being respectful to his employers, Celtic, and their opposition but his refusal to categorically commit to another season in Scotland is telling. If Spurs formalise their interest in the Australian next week, it feels inevitable he will accept their offer.

A cup final where Celtic’s supporters planned to celebrate the completion of another domestic treble now promises to be a strange occasion. Postecoglou, having reset and rebuilt Celtic in pretty short order, is idolised. The problem clubs such as this have is that their position in the food chain dictates they are susceptible to poachers from loftier environments. Brendan Rodgers felt he had more than served his time at Celtic and headed for Leicester. Steven Gerrard had enough of Rangers by the time Aston Villa came calling. Players at both halves of the Old Firm can get extremely tetchy if they feel a pathway to the Premier League is not being properly facilitated after a sensible period of time.

Being the big fish in an increasingly small pond has a shelf life, especially for someone with as itinerant a career as Postecoglou. Spurs is as big a job as he could reasonably look to secure: world-class facilities, a world-class league and a salary which will materially change Postecoglou’s life. Postecoglou clearly has an affinity with Celtic but he has never really given the impression his role means more to him than