Former Celtic midfielder and first-team coach Alan Thompson has claimed that he sees similarities in current Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou with ex-Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
Of course, both Ange and Wenger followed a similar path when they made their way into British Football, coming over from Japan, in what was seen as a bit of a shock appointment for the two sides at that point in time.
But not only is it their journey to Celtic and Arsenal that Thompson sees the similarities in. The Englishman also stated that the job Ange has done in Glasgow so far by stamping his ‘authority’ and ‘culture’ on the squad in such a short space of time is comparable to that of the legendary Frenchman’s impact on the North London side.
“People ask me to compare Ange to Martin O’Neill, and I suppose there are similarities because he also came in at a time when Rangers seemed well ahead,” he said, speaking to the Daily Record.
“I’d love to see him following in Martin’s footsteps and win the Treble at the first attempt – I wouldn’t rule it out.
“But Ange reminds me more of Arsene Wenger and not just because of his background in Japanese football. It’s the way he’s stamped his identity on the team and the whole culture of the club in double-quick time.
“And you can’t fail to be impressed with his recruitment programme. Hatate and Kyogo, in particular, have really caught my eye.”
Thompson will know a thing or two about the pressures of being at Celtic, as both a player and in the dugout as part of the management staff.
Ange has undoubtedly made a huge impact on the club in such a short space of time, getting his footballing identity across whilst also having early success, lifting the Premier Sports cup in December and currently sitting top of the Scottish Premiership.
It is likely too early to be making any comparisons for Ange as of yet until we are able to see the success he can bring down the line.
However, if the club continues to go down this direction, I think it is safe to say we will see Ange lifting more silverware as manager and hopefully have a similar impact to managers coming to the UK from Japan, like another former Celtic man Wim Jansen.
