Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou accused of ‘keeping options open’ by talkSPORT pundit after Brighton response

Danny Murphy has suggested Ange Postecoglou is ‘keeping his options open’ after accusing the Celtic boss of leaving the door open for a move to Premier League side Brighton.

The Australian has been installed among the bookmakers favourites for the vacant managerial post at the AMEX Stadium following the departure of Graham Potter to Chelsea last week.

Postecoglou dismissed rumours linking him with the job in his press conference ahead of the Hoops’ Champions League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk in Warsaw tonight.

The 57-year-old ex-Socceroos head coach branded the speculation ‘irrelevant’ and claimed his sole focus was on continuing to build on a successful first 14 months in charge of the Scottish champions.

He said: “It’s not really relevant in my world or in my space. I have done that my whole career, I have just focused on being as successful as I can for the club I represent.

“If I do that, everything else takes care of itself because things chance pretty quickly in football. If I’m not successful here, it won’t be other options that open up for me, it’ll be this one that closes.”

Murphy insists Postecoglou’s answer left him questioning why the Parkhead boss didn’t speak outright and immediately shut down any link to Brighton.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Murphy explained: “I like him but I think it’s poor. I don’t like it, it stinks of keeping your options open.

“He should have said, I can put that to bed, I’m here. I’m at a big club, I’ve got Champions League to focus on. I’m here for the season.

“He hasn’t said, ‘don’t worry I’m not leaving. Don’t worry I’m here’. He has not said, ‘I am not going to Brighton and I will not entertain the idea’.

“Of course he is (focused on success at Celtic), everyone is everyday. I’ve read it all three times and my interpretation is, if I’m a Celtic fans I don’t see him saying to me - don’t worry, I’m here.

“I’m not going anywhere. I don’t care whether Brighton are coming in, I don’t care if Bayern Munich are coming in. Right now, I’m here.

“I’ll tell you what this stinks of to me - and I like him by the way - it wouldn’t surprise me if Brighton are in for him. That suggests to me that he might be keeping his options open.”

Fellow pundit Simon Jordan disagreed and reckons Postecoglou shouldn’t face scruinty over his response.

Responding to Murphy’s Bayern Munich claim, Jordan said: “That is silly because everyone knows if Manchester United come in he’d be going. So what he’s saying is, if I’m not successful here there will be other options.

“What he’s basically saying is in the world of football, the real world, not the setimental twaddle, I will be taken care of if I’m successul. So it cuts both ways.”

Former Liverpool and Fulham midfielder Murphy continued: “The Munich commment was silly from he. What I meant was, he’s been asked about Brighton. I’m a player, I’m a manager. If I think I might want to go to Brighton, I don’t say I’m not going to Brighton, hence the fact he hasn’t said it.

“I’m not interested in the Brighton job. Full stop, there you go, done. Why not? If you’re not interested why not just say it? You don’t need a quarter of a brain, he’s keeping his options open.”