He’ll learn – Ange Postecoglou backs Will Lankshear to recover from red card
Ange Postecoglou insists Will Lankshear will learn from red card
Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has backed Will Lankshear to recover from his red card at the weekend.
The 18-year-old was sent off in the first half of the Hoops' 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock after a reckless challenge on Ross Millen.
It was a rash tackle from the young defender and one that could have cost Celtic dear.
Lankshear apologised for his actions
The defender reviewed the challenge after the match and apologized for his actions.
He stated he was sorry for making a poor decision and for putting his team in a difficult position.
His teammates and coaching staff have rallied around him since the incident.
Postecoglou believes Lankshear will gain experience
And Postecoglou is confident Lankshear will learn from his mistake.
The Celtic manager believes the experience will benefit the youngster in the long run.
He said: “Will is a young player and he’s going to make mistakes.
“He’s still learning the game and he’s going to have setbacks along the way.
“But I’m confident he’ll learn from this experience and come back stronger.
“He’s a talented player who has a bright future ahead of him.
“We all make mistakes and he needs to learn from this and not let it happen again.”
Lankshear could make way for O’Riley
With Lankshear suspended, Postecoglou could make a change in defence for Celtic’s next game.
Matt O’Riley is likely to come into the team at left-back, with Alexandro Bernabei dropping to the bench.
O’Riley looked comfortable slot into that position in the second half of the match.
He’s unlikely to start regularly there, but he’s a versatile player who can fill in when needed.
Postecoglou is looking for a reaction
Celtic’s loss to Kilmarnock was their first defeat in the league this season.
And Postecoglou is looking for a reaction from his players when they face St Mirren on Wednesday night.
He said: “We need to show a reaction from the Kilmarnock game.
“We can’t afford to drop any more points if we want to win the league.
“We need to come out and play with intensity and passion, but we also need to be clinical in front of goal.
“We’re still top of the league and we have a game in hand
“But we need to start winning again if we want to stay there.
