Here’s a look at some of the things Ange Postecoglou had to say when he spoke to the media on Wednesday afternoon ahead of Thursday night’s UEFA Europa League semi-final, first leg against Bodo/Glimt (8pm UK)...
Ange on Heung-Min Son’s availability
“No, he won’t feature tomorrow night. He is out training but is still separate from the group. He is improving and hopefully we can get him back sooner rather than later.”
Ange on what he expects from Bodo/Glimt
“They have been pretty consistent in the last few years, obviously they have the same manager and core group of players, but definitely a distinct style of football that they have stuck to and they’ve had success with. They’ve been pretty consistent in the Norwegian league but also in Europe and every game they’ve played, irrespective of the opposition, they’ve played some really good quality opposition in Europe and always been really competitive. I think that is borne from the fact they are very stable and have a clear understanding of how they play their football. It will be a good challenge for us.”
Ange on Lucas Bergvall’s new contract and overall development
“I’m delighted for Lucas. It’s reward for his development this year, his performances and how well he has adapted. We’ve got to remember a lot of young guys who come to the Premier League maybe have a step in between, whether that is playing in another league, but he has come straight from the Swedish league, a year of senior football into the Premier League and it’s a credit to him. He’s worked really hard at his game. At the beginning he was struggling to cope with the intensity and tempo, as you’d expect and we expected. A lot of our football and life in general is opportunity. He had an opportunity this year because of the situation we were in and he grabbed it with both hands. And even now, we’ve virtually got a full squad to pick from and he’s still being selected because he took the opportunity. I think there is a core group of young players here that hopefully we can build something from.”
Ange on the importance of our home support on Thursday
“Yeah, it’s really important and again guys that have travelled with us throughout Europe, whether this year or other years, you see the impact that has when you play in opposition stadiums when the supporter base really feels engaged with the club, with the team and with the occasion. It will be hugely important for us tomorrow night. Our fans in Frankfurt were outstanding and to be fair in Europe this year, all the European games, even the Frankfurt home game I thought it was a fantastic atmosphere and we are going to need it tomorrow night. Again, it’s a semi-final of a European competition, I am sure our supporters are excited, everyone at the club is excited and we want to make sure we get the best chance to perform at the best level so we can get through.”
Ange on what he learned from his Celtic side playing Bodo/Glimt a few years ago
“Like I said, same manager, similar style of play. When we played with Celtic, our season had got off to a slow start, but by that time we played some decent football, but I remember, because again we had the first game at home a bit like us, and their ability to play at a really good intensity, they weren’t fazed. You know, the atmosphere at Celtic Park is unbelievable, they weren’t fazed by that, they’d beaten Roma a couple of weeks before that and it really strikes you that I don’t think they’re going to be daunted by anything tomorrow that they face because they’ve been at Old Trafford, they’ve played at the Emirates, I think a couple of years ago. Like I said they’ve played some big clubs in Italy, they’ve played some big clubs in other countries and you see that they have this ability to not be fazed by that, and we’ve got to expect that tomorrow night. I don’t expect them to be overawed by the occasion, you know, sort of thinking ‘wow’. They’ve got a real capacity to be really strong in their mind about what they need to do and the away game is tricky because you’re playing on an artificial surface in difficult conditions. So I think there are still some real parallels there and having experienced it, I know that they’re going to be a really tough opponent.”
Ange on the players’ physical shape after Liverpool
“I think we’re in a good place from that point of view. Looking at the outputs of the players, I think we’ve got work into players who needed it. Others, we’ve had to manage, because with a season like ours, where guys like Romero and Van de Ven and Destiny, guys who’ve missed a lot of the season, it’s not just about getting them back, you’ve got to manage how you bring them back, how and when they play. Certainly all the guys we rested on the weekend – like Bentancur – all could have played – or like Pedro – on the weekend for sure. But it made sense for us to give them really good preparation. And the guys who played – Dom played 60, Madders played 45 – they’re in a good place physically absolutely. We’re going to need a big physical performance because again, Bodo work really hard as a team, but similarly to the Frankfurt games, I think the guys from a physical standpoint are in a good place to have a strong performance.”
Ange on whether a decisive win might be needed in Thursday’s first leg
“I think you try and do that anyway. I think playing at home in Europe for every club has its advantages and you want to try to take that advantage. As you said, Bodo away is a difficult challenge. But having said that, we played really well against Frankfurt at home, should have won by three or four. We ended up drawing, but the important thing was that we played really well and were dominant. That gave us confidence. Frankfurt away wasn’t easy, their record is just as compelling as Bodo’s. I think tomorrow night what’s really important is that we put in another dominant performance. Hopefully if we create as many chances, this time they go in rather than hitting the crossbar and so forth. But I don’t think you just go into tomorrow night thinking you’re going to kill off the tie then. I think semi-finals for the most part tend to be pretty tight and I expect that tomorrow night.”
Ange on the size and stature of Bodo
“I think Bodo’s there on merit. They beat Lazio, they beat Olympiacos, tough teams. They’re there because they’re a good football team. It doesn’t matter where you come from. I come from the other side of the world, where football is the fourth sport. I don’t underestimate anyone. You said we’re a big club, they’re a small club, it doesn’t matter. We’re two clubs in the semi-final of a European competition and they’ve earned the right to be there. They’ve done very well to get there and we’re going to treat them with the respect they deserve and at the same time, make sure that we go in there and give our best performance. They’ve been a real stable club, same manager, they’ve got a real clear identity in the way they play. As I said, I think they’ve created a real kind of resilience in the group, a mental resilience that irrespective of who they play with, whether that’s in the Norwegian league or in Champions League qualifiers, or Europa or Conference, they treat every opponent the same and they play at the same level. That’s why they’ve been a dangerous opponent for any team.
“That’s what I love about the game, that’s the beauty of football. Irrespective of where you come from, or the size of the place that you come from, if you’re ambitious and if you have a clear plan, especially in our sport, you can create unique opportunities and create fantastic moments. I think that’s what we love about the game, that’s what we love about football. There’s always been stories of clubs from smaller areas or small countries doing well in major competitions. That’s always existed.”
Ange on Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen
“He’s a good guy. I obviously met him a few years back and he has done really well. He has a clear identity of the way he wants his team to play, he has created a real strong culture at the club not just from a football perspective but from a mental perspective as well – you can see that, he’s done very well and I’m looking forward to seeing him tomorrow.”
Watch | Ange's pre-Bodo/Glimt press conference