'You are kidding me?' - Ange Postecoglou caught off guard by Celtic milestone he will set at Livingston

The little milestones can suggest so much.

The troubled start to Ange Postecoglou’s life as Celtic manager allows the Australian a gentle barb in the direction of the naysayers he encountered on pitching up in Glasgow over a landmark that awaits him on Sunday.

His team’s arduous assignment away to Livingston on Sunday will represent his 50th game in charge. That isn’t nothing. His match longevity at the helm of the Parkhead club has already usurped Tony Mowbray, Lou Macari and John Barnes. Within a couple of outings, it will eclipse this measure for Josef Venglos and Wim Jansen.

Yet, Postecoglou’s determination to craft a club - not just a team - that prospers in the long haul hasn’t merely allowed him to transform an unpromising beginning into the current situation - wherein his League Cup winning side are the box set for the cinch Premiership title going into the final nine games. The 56-year-old’s mindset in embarking on his construction work was that he was building for a decade in charge of Celtic. He has more on his plate than chalking up the games he has navigated in his current role, so was blindsided in being told the half century is now imminent. For Postecoglou it is quality not quantity that counts, which is why the landmark does mean something to him.

"You are kidding me? I wasn't aware but it doesn't surprise me. It feels like 50,” he said of his about-to-be banked Celtic match total. "The fact we have played 50 games already probably sums up the season it's been so far. It's been full on but immensely enjoyable. I am glad I got to 50, there were probably a few people who didn't think I would! I am pleased to be there. I am more than aware of my perilous existence…Or that of every other manager.

“It's not