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• Ange Postecoglou knows all about the expectation at Celtic

  Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou believes his players have become conditioned to the constant demands for success.

  Captain Callum McGregor lifted the cinch Premiership trophy on Saturday after a 5-0 win over Aberdeen rounded off a season in which Celtic collected 99 points and scored a post-war club-record 114 league goals.

  Postecoglou has now claimed four of five domestic trophies available since arriving from Japan in the summer of 2021 and he can follow in the footsteps of Jock Stein, Martin O’Neill, Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon by clinching the treble with Scottish Cup victory over Inverness on Saturday.

  “From the moment I arrived, I think I have said many times, coming off a trophyless season, we could not go another year without winning something,” he said.

  “From the first day I arrived, irrespective of what happened at the start of the season, I made it clear to the boys that expectation is always there.

  “That will never change. Whether you are winning or not winning, expectation at this football club is you have success every year.

  “I think the players have become conditioned to that. They train like that every day, they behave like that. Callum is pushing them like that every day. You can’t have an off day. You can’t have an off season.”

  Postecoglou is already thinking about how he can improve Celtic next season.

  “You can’t stand still in this game,” he said. “It changes very quickly. It’s fine margins between having success again and not being successful.

  “And more than that, this team’s going to improve. Most of the key players in this team, you can see them improving.

  “All the the ones who joined last year have had better years this year than last year, and the ones who stayed, Callum and Greg Taylor and Tony Ralston, all those guys, have all come on, and had better years this year.

  “That tells me there’s more improvement. There has to be.”

  Aberdeen manager Barry Robson will try to make sure his side compete better with Celtic next season but he sensed Saturday’s game would be difficult given the occasion and the fact his side had achieved their goal of finishing third in the league three days earlier.

  Robson, whose side will be guaranteed European group stage football if Celtic win the cup, said: “We’re going to try our best in every department and be as good as we can possibly be.

  “We know the differences in finance between teams in the league.

  “I’ve played for teams challenging the Old Firm and I’ve played for the Old Firm myself, so I know how difficult it is.

  “But we need to be as good an Aberdeen team as we can be, which we’ve done, and also perform well in Europe.

  “We need Celtic to do us a turn at Hampden next week.

  “That wasn’t our fight. Our fight was getting to third. But we want to make it a fight.”

• Darren Moore wants Wednesday to embrace the moment in Wembley showdown

  Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore has urged his side to “embrace the moment” as the build-up to their Sky Bet League One play-off final continues.

  The Owls reached Monday’s final in dramatic circumstances following a remarkable comeback against Peterborough in the semi-final, which saw them overturn a four-goal deficit in the first leg to then win 5-3 on penalties.

  Their victory sets up a clash against Barnsley at Wembley with promotion to the Championship the prize and Moore is looking forward to the occasion between the South Yorkshire rivals.

  He told a pre-match press conference: “Having two clubs so close together, it’s a Wembley final, two teams from Yorkshire competing for that final spot to get up into the Championship, it bodes well for a wonderful game.

  “We’re just focusing on the game, focusing on the here and now and we’re looking forward to it.

  “Like I said to the players, we’re to embrace this moment, embrace this time, because you’re embracing the moment in time not on your own.

  “We have a multitude – an army – of fans with us as well as the staff, the players…it’s a oneness that we’ve always maintained throughout the season and that’s what we’ll see on Monday.”

  Moore also recognised how special it is to play at Wembley, but stressed that he is preparing for it like “a normal game”.

  “These times now are to be enjoyed, embraced, remember these times because they are special times,” he added.

  “I said the beautiful thing about this for the players is you don’t stand there alone, I don’t have this as a lone figure as a manager because I feel I have a multitude that is with me.

  “Players, staff, we’re all in it together, so we’re all approaching this together.

  “My message has always been clear…to embrace this moment, enjoy the moment and within the club internally we’ve been planning and preparing as we would for a normal game.

  “The game will quickly be upon us on Monday where we’ll get to compete and contest.”

  The Tykes earned a league double over the Owls in the regular season for the first time since 2009, winning 2-0 at Hillsborough in September before securing a 4-2 win in the reverse fixture in March.

  Despite Barnsley’s winning record against them this season, Moore is only focused on what is at stake on Monday.

  “For me now what’s gone on has gone on before, we forget those things now and we focus on the here and now, the present.

  “That’s what it is because the reason why the game’s being played at Wembley, it’s a final, the arena’s different, the atmosphere’s different, the mental side is different so it’s the here and now moment to deal with the games.”

• West Ham manager Paul Konchesky leaves the club following end of WSL season

  Paul Konchesky has left his position as West Ham manager after the Women’s Super League season ended on Saturday.

  The former England defender, who made 70 appearances for the Hammers, was promoted from assistant in May 2022 when boss Olli Harder departed the club.

  Konchesky signed a two-year deal, but has left the Hammers after just 29 games in charge, with the club finishing eighth in the WSL table following a 2-2 draw at home to London rivals Tottenham in their final match of the campaign.

  “I am proud and honoured to have had the opportunity to manage this club,” Konchesky told the club’s official website.

  “My players and my staff have always given me 100 per cent and while some of our results have been disappointing this season, we still have a lot to be proud of, including reaching the semi-final of the Conti Cup. I wish the club well for the future.”

  West Ham Women general manager Aidan Boxall said: “We would like to thank Paul for his contribution to the club, both as manager and during his spell as assistant manager.

  “He has played a key role in the ongoing development of the women’s team and we wish him well for the future.”