'The points gap is irrelevant at this stage' - Postecoglou Celtic Q+A

How good is it to have the bounce of last week's result?

I don't think it is about getting a bounce as we were going quite well without one for a while. It was a good result for us last week in a really important game against our closest rivals. The players have shown great character this season to rise to whatever challenge there is and now our focus is on the next game.

Given you are 12 points clear, how do you make sure you just stay focused on the next game and don't look ahead at what particular fixture you can win the title in?

It is just the nature of the way we have set things up that the players, myself and the staff, that is all we really look at. I don't think us looking beyond playing Kilmarnock, which we know will be a tough game and will need to earn the three points, has any purpose for any reason whether that is because we can see the finishing line close or because we are playing in another competition. It all becomes irrelevant because we know if we are not focused this weekend, then we won't be able to get the job done. That is the key to our success so far and everyone has embraced that fact. Our greatest challenge is the one that is next.

How do you keep going after such an emotionally draining game?

We had a bit of a longer week and it was structured differently. The way I read what is happening is by watching the players' behaviour and the staff and the training. There are no signs of any sort of aftermath or anything remaining from the Rangers game. After we did our review on Monday, it was done and dusted and the players are looking forward to the next one. Competition for places is still there so they have plenty to motivate them. the whole group is having such a great season so there is no reason for us to do anything different to lead up to any other game.

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Does it concern you, after the Kevin Clancy incident ,that official's private lives are being dragged into things?

It's concerning for any person, mate. We shouldn't even be talking about it. We all understand we work in a public space and with that comes scrutiny, but that should begin and end within the professions we work in, not go into our personal lives. And particularly with officials because, for the most part, we have clubs or supporter bases we would like to think would go into bat for us in situations like this. But the officials are kind of left out on their own. I think it's a really timely reminder to all of us about the language we use and the reasonings we use behind things. I mean last week, if you look at it, was a real derby game and it had a bit of everything, but it wasn't a great game. It was a game that was riddled by mistakes from both sides. Both sides. Players and, dare I say it, managers made a lot more mistakes than the officials did on the day. So why we need to separate that, from my perspective, if anyone analysed that game and think one moment decided that, then they are not really looking at the big picture. From my perspective, there is a decision there where everyone has opinions on it but it's not fact-based because it's not like it's an offside or something you can clearly see. It's an opinion-based thing. Everyone gives their opinion and ultimately one person has to make the decision. It's all right for us to give our opinion and be really brave but when you have got to be there and make a decision, that's when we have to have respect for the officials and allow them to do their job.Within the context of that, whatever opinions we have, I thought we should have had a penalty at Ibrox. But it doesn't really matter, you give your opinion and you move on, and you analyse the game. As I said, that was a mistake-riddled derby by both teams and to isolate the officials as to the reasoning why the contest went one way or another, I think gives a false impression and adds to the unnecessary pressure on the people making decisions.

Injury update?

We still have training tomorrow but it is pretty much the status quo. Put it this way, the guys who were injured last week are still unavailable. They are edging closer but none will make it back for Sunday.

Do you have a final points tally in mind?

No. There are 21 points left to play for. That will do me.

Does the fact the match is taking place on a plastic pitch come into your thinking when picking the team?

Yeah, it comes into it. If you have players that feel the effects of a surface like that then you take that into consideration and from our perspective, as I have said before, the game is a little bit different on the artificial surface. However, it does not change the way we want to play and we aim to play the same way we do on a weekly basis. They will have. a run out on the surface tomorrow to give them a taste for it and then we will tackle what is before us on Sunday.

When you signed Alistair Johnston were you confident that he'd be going right into the first team and making as big an impact as he has this season? 

It's not an exact science but when bringing guys into the club, I wouldn't bring them in if I didn't believe they could make an impact and help us and improve us as a team. Every time we bring a player to the club it's about trying to get us to be stronger and better so that's that's the intent. Like I said, it doesn't always work out but I think with Alistair and probably Tomoki as well they’re fairly mature guys. I know this is their first foray into European football but they're both sort of mid-20s. Alistair’s 24 now but he's played international football so my reckoning was he could come in and make an impact immediately and we needed him to because we kinda knew Josip was moving on. We didn’t know that Anthony [Ralston] would get an injury that would keep him out for some key games. Having him stepping in and doing so well has been pleasing. 

Will the artificial pitch have any impact on the team you’re going to pick? 

Not from the point of view of the way we want to play. That stays pretty consistent, we know what we need to do. We know the challenge before us. Kilmarnock have got really strong home form and there's a reason for that. They're well organised, Derek [McInnes] has them well-structured and they're fighting for their status in the Premiership so you know that if you just focus on one aspect of the challenge - whether that's the pitch or whatever - you dismiss the fact that they're also a very effective football side on their home ground. So you’ve got embrace it all and the team selection will come down to the team that I think can get the job done for us on Sunday. 

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How pleasing is it to have a team that are willing to fight for each other? 

I think it's important with every team-orientated sport that you create a bit of a bond there where there's a commonality in the cause you're chasing. It always helps because ultimately you know that to be successful you can't rely on individuals, there needs to be a real collective effort in everything you do and that always helps when there's a bond between particularly the players who are out there every week trying to overcome a challenge. The players have created a great environment for themselves here, they drive it, they’re the ones that are in charge of it although obviously led by Callum [McGregor]. I think that manifests itself in them tackling every challenge with a strong collective effort.  

Would you say, then, that you'd made a conscious effort to cultivate that sense of brotherhood or has that come from the leadership in the squad? 

It's a bit of everything. Like I said, my role is to create an environment that hopefully grows and flourishes. That's something that you need to really be conscious of because you need to make sure that there's a clear understanding of the expectations in terms of behaviour, in terms of the way we work and that's set by the leaders within the group. But obviously I'm the person who's putting it all together, so I've gotta be the one that leads by example more than anyone if I want a certain kind of environment, then I've gotta display those behaviours. Then that’s taken over by the leaders in the group. But again, it's gotta happen organically. You can't force these things. I don't think you can try and create rules and regulations to make people behave a certain way but, as I've always said in the past, you get good people and these kinds of things become easier. 

You must be delighted with what you're getting from Jota this season? 

Yeah, he's been great. He obviously had a great season last year and we're fortunate then to be able to get him on permanently and he's really embraced the football club. He's embraced, you know, the way we play and he's embraced his own journey in wanting to improve and continually develop as a footballer. I think I've certainly seen growth in him. The talent's always been there. He's just really getting a lot cleverer and smarter about how to use that and becoming a lot more disciplined in making sure that without it curtailing his sort of creativity that he works hard for the team. You saw that last week. That goal he scored was some great individual brilliance but it came from his willingness to work hard for the team in a defensive sense and that's been great for all our attacking players to embrace that side of the game. They get rewards for it like he did in terms of goals and assists. They're willing to do that side of the game and it doesn't curtail the creativity they have and the individual brilliance they have. But he's been one that's really matured and it's great to see. I think there's more to come. 

He was in and around the wider squad with Portugal just ahead of the World Cup, not the easiest squad to break into, but do you believe he's got the ability to make that step up? 

Why not? I mean far be it for me to tell any player what their limit may or may not be but why not He's one thing about him since he's got here - he's always delivered in the big games. He scored in Europe last year, he scored in Europe this year, so it's not like his talent diminishes at the higher level. I think he's proven that. And like I said. For us his willingness to continue to improve and work hard is great because we're getting the benefits of it. I think with all the players, I’m not going to tell them how far they can reach and where their potential may lie or take them. He's from a country with some outstanding talent and outrageous talent but the fact that he's on their radar shows that he's definitely developing and in the discussions for them.