Michel Ange Balikwisha

Yeah especially considering Yang was 99% gone as well yet we had nothing lined up. Also concerning that we have no youth team players who can play there even to give them a shot to see what they can do.

Given the situation though, we have to shuffle the deck and try find the best balance with what we have.

 

Agreed 100%, madness we’re still plodding along with this 433 when it’s blatantly * obvious it isn’t working with the current available options in the squad.

 

A lot of people went in two footed early on him..

I think he'll have that big game mentality.

 

Usual. Always happens, does my * in.

 

Think it's still too soon to call it either way
Even now calling him a good player on the back of one decent performance is too soon to say even the guys calling him not good where too quick/wrong.

We all throught nygren was great, then *, now accept the midfield isn't right overall.

Certainly needs more game time for better judgement.

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Michel-Ange Balikwisha has had a slow start to life at Celtic, following his £4.5 million move from Royal Antwerp in August. The Celtic Way speaks with his former manager, Brian Priske, about the player, his time in Belgium, and why he has no doubts over the attacker's future success in Scotland.



Whether you are playing your football in Liege, Antwerp or Glasgow, an instant impact is always preferable when joining a new club, particularly of the positive variety.

Unfortunately for Michel-Ange Balikwisha, his presence has not yet been fully felt in Scotland, at least, prior to his key involvement in the winning goal against Motherwell last weekend.

Following his side’s recent 3-2 victory in the Scottish Premiership, Brendan Rodgers spoke to the media about the winger’s perceived slow start to life in Scotland. “He needed to feel something in the game,” he said, regarding Balikwisha’s assist to Daizen Maeda in added time. “It is not easy for these guys coming in to play for Celtic.”

“I think for him, it has all been a bit of a blur, but I’m sure over time he will prove to be a really good player here. His body work to let the ball run across and to get a great cross in for Daizen to finish will be fantastic for him.”








Breaking through in Belgium
Balikwisha, unlike fellow left-wing import Sebastian Tounekti, is a name that has been linked with Celtic for well over a year, thanks to the club’s interest in the player last season, before a serious muscle injury scuppered his chances of a move to Scotland in the summer 2024 transfer window.

Though Glasgow has not seen the best of the 24-year-old as of yet, it is a wholly different story in the country of his birth, Belgium. Having come through the ranks at Anderlecht as a youth, the versatile player moved to Standard Liege at 13, playing 40 times in the 2020/21 season during his breakthrough campaign six years later at the same club.

A highly-rated prospect, both at domestic and international level in Belgium, the winger would attract the interest of Royal Antwerp in the summer of 2021, then managed by Brian Priske. “Michel-Ange was one of the players that Antwerp had been scouting for some time,” the Dane told The Celtic Way, who now manages Czech side Sparta Prague.

“We decided to buy him quite early in the transfer window, just shortly after I arrived at the club, so it was mainly the club that wanted to make this investment, but of course, I had a chance to look at him as well.

“He came from Standard Liege at a young age, where he moved up to the Flemish-speaking part of the country, experiencing a different mentality in Antwerp as well. He had to develop his professionalism and understand the bigger demands at a top club, where we were expected to fight for titles and cups.

First season solidity
A look back at the recent history books will document a fourth-place finish for Royal Antwerp under the management of Priske, a campaign where Balikwisha featured heavily for his new side. In his debut season, he managed five goals and five assists in 38 games, which was seen as a positive start, though changes were afoot at the club.

“It was a difficult year for us at Antwerp. Because we brought in 18 new players in the summer, as well as a new coach and new staff,” said Priske, who was relieved of his duties by incoming Director of Football Marc Overmars the following May. “We were not a team that was in a complete flow, unlike the following season.”

“In the case of Michel-Ange in his first season, he had some really standout games but also matches where he struggled. When you look at his numbers, he actually had a good, solid year, and we were able to finish in the top four, which was a big achievement when you look at how the squad was built in that summer.

“If there was one part of his game that stood out to me, it would be his dynamic play, as he was really smooth in his running. He was always high on physical output, both in training and in the games that we played. He was an outlier in high-speed runs and on sprint meters, as well as possessing the ability to create chances for his team when dribbling.

“Away from the pitch, he is a really nice guy and is very positive. He was always smiling and easy to laugh with, but he knew when to be serious and professional. He was a good kid with a good connection to the rest of his players.

Finding his best position
Balikwisha, at the time of writing, has made six appearances for Celtic, with his debut for the club coming as a starter on the left wing against Rangers in the Glasgow Derby. He was then shifted to the right to accommodate Tounekti, before appearing as a substitute in his next four outings for Rodgers’ side.

After making minimal impact on his less-favoured side, Balikwisha’s new manager has effectively ruled out the winger playing there unless injuries in his squad force him to do so, with a battle on the left a likely scenario for two of his summer acquisitions.

Having deployed him in a multitude of different positions, however, Priske believes that Balikwisha’s versatility will be an advantage for the player, who will look to gain more game time following the international break. “I think it depends a bit on the style of play from the coach and the formation, but he can cover all three areas up front,” he said.

“Maybe Rodgers would not play him as a striker, but definitely on both wings, as well as just behind the number nine. He is definitely versatile, and his running capacity is enormous, which he benefits from when playing intense games.

A history-maker at Antwerp
Although Antwerp underwent another managerial change off the field in 2022, due to Overmars’ restructuring of the club, it did not hinder their improvements, as Priske’s replacement, Dutch legend Mark van Bommel, led the club to its first league championship in 66 years during the 2022/23 season.

Balikwisha would thrive under his new manager, scoring 20 goals across the following two seasons, further placing a bright spotlight on his talents thanks to his on-field performances. “It was just a matter of time before he was able to maintain a high level,” said Priske, delighted with his ex-player’s progress, despite his own Antwerp exit.

“When he came to the club, he was quite young, so naturally, his second season would be better, but it also says something about him that he was not satisfied with his first campaign at Antwerp and wanted to improve some things.

“That, combined with the success of the rest of the team, makes things a lot easier for a player, especially when the squad is in a good flow and has good confidence.”

Backed to succeed at Celtic
Rodgers’ ‘blur’ comments post-Motherwell last weekend may create – or strengthen - the perception believed by some that Balikwisha has been overawed by his £4.5 million transfer to the Scottish champions, with his assist showing his critics the first signs of the player being able to cope with the demands of the club.

Now a keen spectator from afar, his former manager reckons the Balikwisha he knows will come to the fore in the weeks and months ahead. “Like a lot of other players, people always think it’s a matter of plug in and play when you make a transfer, but sometimes it takes a little bit longer to adapt,” Priske said. “Not just on the pitch, but also the environment and the atmosphere around the club.”

“We all know, not just in Scotland but in general around Europe, that Celtic are a massive club, with a big fanbase and big expectations. Because of this, players can take a little bit longer to adapt, but I am convinced that Michel-Ange will be able to do it, as he’s got a good personality and mindset.

“I do not doubt him, because he’s got the qualities, both individual and as part of a team, as well as the experience from the Belgian league, which is both tough and underestimated in football terms. There is so much power and speed there, so I am quite sure that those qualities will shine through in Scotland.

“With a great manager like Brendan, as well as the rest of his staff, I’m sure that they can develop him and make him even better with his new squad of teammates.”

Despite his slow start to life at Celtic, Rodgers, his staff and the wider support will hope that lightning can strike twice for Balikwisha, if his Royal Antwerp days are anything to go by regarding gradual improvements.

With a busy period of games awaiting the attacker and his fellow teammates in three different competitions, the club’s new number 10 will be looking to be front and centre of all things positive in the forward areas for Celtic in the weeks and months ahead – regardless of where he is deployed.

 

With the amount of games we will play in November and December he will get chances so hopefully some of the positive signs we saw off the bench against Partick Thistle and last weekend against Motherwell will see Balikwisha start to make his mark and settle into the team.