Arne Engels

I'm not desperate to discredit McGregor, but carry on!

 

Ok

 

I thought both Engels and Bernardo were poor but I’d have subbed Bernardo. Midfield seems to be a bit of an issue at the moment.

 

A waste of £11m game by game he gets worse by the eye

Pure *

 

The thing is, when we did shoot, we hit the woodwork twice, once through Engels. He showed too little to late, but the same can be said about others.

 

He’s had a good season and has plenty of room for improvement. His contribution can’t be denied. Feel like we’re unlikely to sell him so soon unless the player tries to force the move, which it doesn’t seem like he’ll do. That there’s interest in him is a good thing though, it means other teams see his qualities too.

 

They were; but Bernardo was much worse and even when he's not playing well, Engels is capable of a moment of magic that Bernardo isn't (there was one pass in particular yesterday that was fabulous).

 

When Bernardo and Engels are not playing well I’d rather have mccowan who offers more industry than them both.

 

I honestly thought McCowan was as bad as Bernardo yesterday. Bernardo is usually a hardworking player IMO.

 

You on the drink dutchy?

You're back on ignore by the way so no moon howling. Any more than usual.

One day you will develop some self awareness.

Just for future reference. If I see something idiotic from you I will bring it up then put you back on ignore. You can reply but you will be talking to no one.

Peace.

 

I’m talking in general. I don’t see these moments of magic from Engels like he is some sort of game winner for us. I don’t think he is the type of player to pull us out the trenches. Bernardo hasn’t got going since being injured. At least with Mccowan you see energy and effort.

 

Lol

 

There is a lot more to come from him and next season we will see this

 

Him and Bernardo doesn't work..

I know who I'm sticking with though..

Expect him to flourish more consistently next season..

 

This.

 

Agree here mate, I actually was shocked Engels was coming off instead of Bernardo at the changes yesterday.

I would have started McCowan before Bernardo, as despite being levels below Hatate he is a more like for like player.

Engels I think can develop in to a better player but if Atalanta offered the sort of fee being mentioned he would be sold for me as I think he is a square peg in a Rodgers midfield.

 

I honestly can't see anything to make me think he's going to get any better. Apart from taking our corners, free kicks and penalties (which most of our players should be able to do) he doesn't contribute anything else to the team. He had a few goodish games against some of the mid table teams but was totally invisible when it mattered, especially against the huns and the sheep on Saturday. I could be proved wrong however, I'd be happy if someone paid us to take him off our hands

 

Arne Engels at Celtic: Derek Rae explains why patience will pay off



Signed as Celtic’s most expensive player ever, Arne Engels arrived in Glasgow with promise and pressure in equal measure. Bundesliga expert Derek Rae unpacks the Belgian’s debut campaign — the growing pains, the tactical shifts, and why Celtic may be only a stepping stone on his upward curve.


The colour of Derek Rae's football scarf is undoubtedly red and white for his beloved Aberdeen.

However, the commentator and German football expert has had other reasons to keep an eye on Brendan Rodgers' men in green and white this season. The answer to that lay in the shape of Celtic's Belgian midfielder Arne Engels.

Rae was the go-to guy for the lowdown on Engels last summer when Celtic splashed out their highest ever transfer fee of £11 million for the man from Augsburg. He has studied Engels closely and with interest during his inaugural campaign in Scottish football.

It was Rae who told everybody connected with Celtic and Scottish football, as well as the club's fanatical fans, to temper their initial expectations.




High ceiling, but not the finished article
Engels helped Celtic to the Scottish Premiershipand League Cup double, having made 52 appearances for the club and contributed 10 goals - eight of them penalties - and 13 assists. He was also nominated for the SPFA Young Player of the Year award.

Still, debate surrounds how successful his first season in Glasgow was. Engels' harshest critics, in response to what would be considered a substantial contribution, would cite that his open-play performances should have been better for the money spent.

Undeniably, there's still a sense he is developing in Celtic colours and has yet to hit a peak, which Rae feels was always going to be the case despite his high price tag.

Rae says: "When Arne Engels signed for Celtic, I remember saying that for the fee that they paid, they were not getting the finished article.

"People had to understand that, and Celtic fans were asking about the £11 million fee and saying it was a heck of a lot of money and that he had better be special. I told the Celtic supporters to hang fire on those types of judgements because he still had a lot of development to do.

"He developed a lot in his 18 months in Augsburg, having come from Bruges, and there were going to be adjustments for him. The biggest adjustment was the style of play at Celtic compared to Augsburg.

"At Augsburg, he was mostly a central midfielder with some defensive responsibilities. In German football, you would say a number six/number eight type.

"In Scotland, when people think of a Celtic defensive midfield player, back in my day, Roy Aitken would spring to mind. Aitken was maybe not the most skilful player, but he protected the defence from risk.

"Engels was the polar opposite of that at Augsburg. He was a good ball-playing defensive midfielder, and German football is full of these kinds of players who like to play in the tight spaces.

"His technical attributes could come to the fore playing like that, and he has tended to play higher up the park at Celtic, and he has veered into the number ten position at times. That goes to show that Engels is a very versatile player.

"All in all, when you look at Engels' first season at Celtic, you have to take into account the change of environment, the change of system and his position at times, then there is no guarantee a young player will deliver."




A debut on the Champions League stage
Engels featured in 10 Champions League matches, the first time he had graced the tournament, and scored one goal, as well as providing three assists on the biggest stage of all.

The chance to perform at the elite European level was a key attractor for Engels, who had plenty of suitors last summer.

It's also where there's the biggest chance to see his progression, especially if Celtic qualify for the tournament again next term.

Rae explains: "Engels really wanted to go to Celtic. The player wanted to play Champions League football. In terms of Celtic's offer, the lure of playing at the highest level of club football would have sealed it in his mind.

"Engles wanted to better himself in that environment. The Champions League is arguably where Engels has excelled this season for Celtic. Those figures are a decent return for a young player playing in that company for the first time in his career.

"That is where you often see it with players in a Champions League context. A more technical player like Engels can thrive on that platform. You are not looking for perfection with Engels. He is still relatively young, and there are still things to be ironed out in his game."




Will Engels see Celtic as a career stepping stone?
Rae believes that had Engels not made the switch to Celtic, he could easily have graced a top table Bundesliga outfit.

The player still has three years left on his current deal in Glasgow but, given his potential and young age, there will inevitably be transfer interest in him down the line.

Will Celtic get the chance to see him develop fully into the player he can be?

Rae states: "Engels was well known to people who follow the Bundesliga; this was a player who was on the way up. Had he not gone to Celtic, then the logical transfer move for him would have been to move to one of the European representatives in the Bundesliga.

"Engels wouldn't have looked out of place playing for a team like Borussia Dortmund, for example. Who knows that might be his career trajectory at some point if he continues doing what he is doing. However, Celtic is a great place for him right now.

"Celtic were buying a combination of potential that has already been harnessed into something pretty productive. Celtic and Rodgers knew that they didn't have the complete player in Engels, but they could take him to the next level in his development and then hopefully sell him for profit further down the line.

"He is not the kind of player who will be at Celtic for the next five or six years. His next ambition will be to go to one of the top leagues with a top team. That will probably be his next step.

"He may not be in a hurry to do that and may feel that another season with Celtic, possibly playing in the Champions League and honing his skills there and regular international recognition with Belgium on a sustained basis won't be far away either."







Engels will get better'
Engels gathered four Belgian caps across the season, demonstrating that there is interest within the international camp to establish him at that level.

However, plying your trade in the west of Scotland comes with much chatter, and the player himself was forced to clarify that he is not in direct competition with Rangers midfielder Nico Raskin when it comes to earning minutes with Belgium.

Engels insisted that it was all a media concoction: "It's not really a rivalry, just what you're making out of it!”

It was further proof, if any were needed, that Engels is an old head on young shoulders and is maturing at a rapid rate.

Rae reckons that you can tell by analysing Engels' career choices to date.

He says: "He seems a fellow who is mature for his years. He is not in football for the wrong reasons. He is in it to better himself as a player.

"Engels has time on his side. He will get better. He has made two important career steps, which have so far proven to be the right ones. Players do not always do that, but he has made the right moves for the right reasons.

"Celtic have played it well here with Engels and have done well by him. He has been a good fit. I think it is logical to believe that Engels will be better for Celtic next season.

"This has been his career trajectory and his pattern. There has been improvement year on year. When he joined Augsburg, nobody knew that he would be playing regularly, but he forced his way in right away, and it was impossible to ignore him.

"Going to Celtic, the transfer fee carried the weight of real expectation, and he has been able to deal with all of that. This is what I thought when Celtic signed Engels. They were getting a player with certain skills, but still had to be finished off and can be made better.

"Rodgers is the sort of manager who can take a player like Engels and look at his strengths and look at where he still has to improve and work on that and make that player better."

Engels may not be the finished article yet, but for Celtic, the signs suggest they’ve invested in one.

Rae concludes: "When is a player the finished article? It can vary with each player. I would think that, from what we have seen from Engels so far, there is scope for him to round off his game and dominate games a bit more from start to finish. That is the next logical step in Engels' Celtic career.

"If Celtic are analysing the transfer and the fee that was paid for Engels, then it would be rather churlish to say the move hasn't worked out at all. He is not perfect yet; he was never going to be, there is a lot to like about him."