Stuart Armstrong

Played well. Still question marks whether he'll ever be more than a SPL player.

 

STUART Armstrong was delighted to fire Celtic to victory away to Kilmarnock on Friday night to maintain the Hoops’ forward momentum into another crucial week of games.

The 24-year-old scored the only goal of the game just before the break at Rugby Park, finishing with conviction in the box from Moussa Dembele’s pass to cement the Bhoys position at the top of the table.

Although it wasn’t the most fluent performance from Brendan Rodgers’ side this season, Armstrong was satisfied to have ground out the three points and notch up the club’s seventh successive domestic clean sheet.

And the midfielder believes it was important that the team continued their winning form ahead of the upcoming UEFA Champions League showdown with Barcelona and next weekend’s League Cup final with Aberdeen.

He said: “I thought we were really good in the first half, moved the ball really well and created a few opening and we should have been more than one ahead. The second half was a bit ugly. We didn’t control the game as we liked but at the end of the day, it was a hard battle but we got three points and we got another clean sheet.

“We want to produce the performances we know we can week in, week out, but sometimes it’s not going to be like that. Last night was cold, it was on astroturf and a lot of the boys were just back from travelling away. Three points were our objective and we managed to get it.

“We have an important week ahead of us with the Champions League and the League Cup final. We wanted to have good momentum with a win last night and now we can focus on next week.”

And Armstrong admitted that he would love to be involved in next Wednesday’s hotly-anticpated clash with the Catalan giants in Paradise as the Hoops target redemption following their heavy defeat in the corresponding match in the Nou Camp.

He added: “Everyone wants to play in the Champions League and against the world’s best players and we have a chance to redeem ourselves on Wednesday after the disappointing away game, so we are looking forward to that and we will make sure we prepare right.”

 

Blonde Cafu

 

Armstrong has really kicked on this season thankfully. I had all but given up hope in the player but it was mainly down to our dud manager last season ripping the confidence out of the player playing him as a winger.

I'd like to see more bursting late runs into the box like the Killie match there and see him in the Scotland Squad. Time to offer him a new contract I think.

 

SA: "Very excited about it. It’s my first final with Celtic.

SA: "First chance for some silverware in the form of a cup so I’m looking forward to it.

SA: "It was slightly frustrating last time as I had mixed emotions

SA: "I was fresh off the back of my move from Dundee United but that’s long gone and now I can focus on getting a cup here


SA on team's improvements: "We’ve learned to compete with the best & how to overcome different situations against top quality players.


SA: "The games against @ManCity at home and @borussia away were very good performances.

SA: "Perhaps ties we could have taken more from and that’s definitely pleasing.

SA: "Playing against the best in the @ChampionsLeague, which is arguably one of the best competitions football has to offer, against.

SA: "..all the top quality players in the world is definitely going to improve you as a player and help you learn.


STUART Armstrong has been on a fine run of form in recent weeks, and enjoyed an impressive showing against the stars of Barcelona in Wednesday night’s UEFA Champions League clash at Celtic Park.

Now, along with his team-mates, he’s turning his attention to the National Stadium and the League Cup final against Aberdeen, which takes place this Sunday.

It’s the first piece of domestic silverware up for grabs this season and the chance for Brendan Rodgers to secure his first trophy as Celtic manager.

And for Armstrong, it will also be his first final as a Celtic player. The 24-year-old midfielder joined the Hoops in February 2015, just a month before his new side played in the League Cup final against Dundee United, but he and Gary Mackay-Steven, who signed for the Celts on the same day, both missed out on the showpiece occasion as they were cup-tied.

So he’s determined to make the most of this Sunday’s final, which, of course, means ensuring that green and white ribbons are tied on the trophy come the end of the game.

“I’m very excited about it,” Armstrong said today (Thursday) at a press conference at the club’s Lennoxtown Training Centre. It’s my first final to be involved in with Celtic and the first chance for some silverware this season so I’m looking forward to it.

It was slightly frustrating last time. I had mixed emotions as I was fresh off the back of my move from Dundee United but that’s long gone and now I can focus on lifting the cup here.”

And the midfielder believes that the Bhoys can use the experience of playing in the UEFA Champions League group stages to their benefit, both in this Sunday’s League Cup final and in the other domestic challenges that lie ahead throughout the rest of this season.

“We were focused on giving a better account of ourselves than we did in the away tie (against Barcelona), and I felt we did that in parts,” Armstrong said, “so there are definitely some positives to take from last night and confidence to take into the weekend.

“We’ve learned to compete with the best and patterns of play and how to overcome different situations against really top quality players.

“The games against Man City at home and Gladbach away were very good performances and perhaps ties we could have taken more from and that’s definitely pleasing to play against these teams and come away with that feeling afterwards.

“Playing against the best in the Champions League, which is arguably one of the best competitions football has to offer, against all the top-quality players in the world is definitely going to improve you as a player and help you learn.”



CELTIC’S impressive form this season under Brendan Rodgers has been achieved through only focusing on the next game in the calendar and never looking beyond that.

It means that the squad only began their preparations for the League Cup final against Aberdeen on Thursday morning following their UEFA Champions League tie with Barcelona.

And that approach also means that any talk of future success or domestic trebles is immediately dismissed. Stuart Armstrong emphasised this focused mentality when he spoke to the press ahead on Sunday’s cup final at Hampden.

“We’re not focused on trebles, or what that might mean later on in the season,” he said. “We’re just focused on taking it week by week which is what we’ve always done, so we’ve focused on the league, and when the League Cup comes around we focus on that. We’re always looking on the next fixture and taking it game by game.”

Armstrong missed out on Celtic’s last League Cup final appearance – in March 2015 against Dundee United – because he was cup-tied, so he’s looking forward to the experience this time around.

“I’ve definitely learned a lot about what it means to be a Celtic player and all that comes with that,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot in the 18 months I’ve been here, and with the new manager coming in and working under him in a different position, it’s been really good for me and I’m really enjoying life at Celtic just now.

“The attraction of coming to Celtic is to play in Europe and play in cup finals, and that’s what you want to do, ultimately, as a footballer, is to accomplish things and win things, so if we can get off to winning ways on Sunday and win the cup, I’ll be very happy.”

 

Can't fault his effort but he's just not good enough, we need to sign someone to play beside brown if we want to improve.

 

We'll be going nowhere in Europe with guys like Armstrong, McGregor, Henderson, Boyata, GMS etc.

 

Same.

Fair play to him he could come in and do a job in the SPL to cover injuries.

But he's a very average, uninspiring player and will never make a consistent impact. Top player for any other team in Scotland mind.

 

That's an excellent summary

 

I don't mind him. I agree that he's never going to be one of our top players, but the way he is playing under Rodgers, I don't think his replacement is a priority. He is a better and less limited player than one or two who played under WGS when reached the last 16 twice.

As long as he continues to work his * off in games and is tactically disciplined, I am happy enough going into CL games with him. Obviously (like everyone else), I will certainly not complain if someone better is brought in for his position (as far as I can tell, this American guy we are after is just that).

 

Barring Broony he puts in more effort than anyone else,he speeds up attacks but his final ball is mostly questionable,shame because if he could sort out them bad passes he'd be one of our best players.

 

You do make a good point. We can complain about players but we need to accept them until we have better. I am personally schizophrenic now. One night you could ask me about him and I'd talk about how good his energy is and how he gets forward to support the attackers and make things happen and how his boundless energy helps him get back and help out the defensive side of things too.

Then the next night I would be lamenting his ability to make a simple cross that would create a goal, how he can't finish after making a wonderful run into the box with the ball laid on a plate, why is he still on corners it's like asking Izzy to take a penalty, why does he have a habit of losing the ball in dangerous areas when a boot up the park or a much simpler pass wouls suffice?

He's probably the most frustrating player I've seen. At least hig Sammy scored important goals and gave us moments of magic. Stuart is very unemotional and while that is normally a good trait for people who need to read a situation quickly and then make a decision, I think it would do him good to be a bit emotional so he could play with his gut instinct in situations.

 

You forgot to add the pilot and bus driver

 

Well, certainly playing all 5 at the same time in the CL would give anyone the fear , but one or two should be fine. Think of Telfer, Pearson, Naylor, McDonald, Caldwell, McManus, Robson, etc.

It's OK (and inevitable on our budget) to have the odd limited player in the team going into the CL, as long as they are tactically disciplined, know their role, give 100% and are supplemented with players like Naka, Boruc, McGeady and JVOH in key positions.

 

That's exactly what I think we need, 2 or 3 more creative players across the field, players who our strictly positional players can give the ball to and they'll make things happen. Nothing worse than see a less gifted player try to use his feet when they have no timing. Players who are positionally great and can prevent attacks or find space to play simple balls.

 

I see you have finally removed Brown from that list

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