Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou plotting success in January transfer window rather than focusing on Steven Gerrard speculation

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has warned his squad not to get distracted as speculation surrounding Steven Gerrard’s future at Rangers continues to mount.

Gerrard has been strongly linked with a move south of the border as English Premier League side Aston Villa aim to finalise a deal for the Liverpool legend that would see him take on their vacant managerial role.

The Hoops trail leaders Rangers by four points in the Scottish Premiership and Postecoglou is refusing to get caught up in any uncertainty that currently lingers over their Glasgow rivals.

“They’re the kind of distractions I avoid, to be honest,” Postecoglou said after was named the Glen’s Premiership manager of the month for October following four league wins and a draw.

“I’ve been really laser-focused on here and I’ll continue to be.

“I’m just making everyone really aware that we can’t get distracted by anyone or anything else because when you’re trying to build something and be successful you can’t afford to be looking over your fences at what other people are doing.

“We’ve got to build our house, make it nice and beautiful and then see how it stacks up against the rest of the neighbourhood.”

The international break will allow the Parkhead boss some breathing space after another hectic run of fixtures but with the January transfer window looming, Postecoglou cannot afford to rest for long as he targets new recruits.

The Aussie is expecting a quieter window than the one he faced on his arrival during the summer but confirmed work is ongoing in identifying players to strengthen his squad.

Postecoglou has been widely tipped to return to the Japanese market, an area he knows particularly well having left his role as head coach of Yokohama F. Marinos.

However, he stated recent performances from some of his first-team players had altered his thinking on what areas need addressing.

Postecoglou admitted: “It won’t be as busy as the summer but there will be some activity.

“There are some areas I feel we should strengthen and while we’re not in any rush, a lot of that will be dictated by how the ones we’ve got here develop over the next period of time as well.

“We’ve had some players who have shown some fantastic acceleration in their development over the last period. It’s been pleasing to see and means maybe we don’t have to reinforce those areas and can look at others.

“As we go along, we’ll see what gaps need to be filled.

“I like to work pretty methodically. I don’t like to rush into things, whether that’s decision about the current state of affairs or future affairs.

“The summer transfer window, for me, was way too chaotic, but understandably so because of the situation I was put into.

“I don’t want that to happen in the future. That won’t happen if we start working methodically from now.

“That doesn’t mean we ramp things up or do things at a faster pace, it just means we do things in a systematic way that allows us to make the best decision without feeling the pressure of time.”