Arne Engels set for stand-out second season at Celtic

The price is NEVER down to the player

The price is NEVER down to the player, that’s between the clubs and the Bundesliga side were selling a highly rated Belgium international who had many admirers and indeed still does. Brendan Rodgers has said many times that Celtic were buying potential. Engels is a player who could be developed and then perhaps sold on for a record transfer fee of around £40m down the line.

In his first season at Celtic Arne Engels played for Belgium, celebrated his 21st birthday and scored 10 goals and 13 assists in 52 appearances across all competitions. That’s a a pretty decent record for a young man in his debut campaign in a new country, although critics will argue that the majority of those goals arrived from the spot, and overall he’s failed to justify his massive fee.

Whilst Arne didn’t exactly enjoy a spectacular debut season, he was hardly the expensive flop some were and still are perceiving.  He was a 20 year old moving to a new country and a club with huge demands to win every single match, not something he was used to in German football.

Liam Scales gets similar treatment, as did Greg Taylor previously 

We know how harsh the over critical element of our support can be once they get their teeth into their victim. Greg Taylor had it continually throughout his Celtic career whilst Liam Scales seems to be the latest to be feeling the brunt of that unfair criticism on a regular basis. Scales made his 100th appearance for Celtic the other night and is highly regarded by Brendan Rodgers who is also using him as cover for Kieran Tierney in the closing stages of matches.

It doesn’t matter what these guys do on the park, these critics will find a fault of some kind no matter how trivial to appease their own agenda. If Scales had missed the ball trying to shoot the other night – as happened to KT – then we’d have been hearing them moan about the Irish defender all week.

Engels a worth Man of the Match on Friday night in Sandman’s Definitive Ratings 

In Arne’s case that was evident during and after our comfortable 4-1 win over Falkirk on Friday evening. Despite having a terrific game, and was named Man of the Match by Sandman in his Definitive Ratings on The Celtic Star.

Engels  looked bright throughout, laying on an assist and creating several other chances yet quite remarkably he was still the subject of heavy criticism post match by some of our more negative supporters on social media.

Celtic has strength in depth and competition for places in midfield

This is an important season for Arne and he needs support, not be subjected to constant nit picking. It’s rather bizarre and unnecessary that some fail to acknowledge the contribution he makes to our side just because they want to be proven right. Competition for midfield places is intense and that’s the way it should be at Celtic – and players like Benjamin Nygren, Arne Engels, Callum McGregor, Luke McCowan, Reo Hatate and Paulo Bernardo will all play their parts this season.

Some folk just have an agenda against Arne Engels and also Liam Scales , I just wish they’d pack it in.