Arne Engels has endured a mixed start to life at Celtic, arriving for a hefty fee last season but struggling to hit the heights many supporters expected.
Having been benched for the opening two Premiership matches, the Belgian midfielder was handed a starting berth against Falkirk in the Premier Sports Cup and he seized it with both hands.
Engels was at the centre of everything positive for Celtic on the night, his set-piece delivery in particular a constant threat. He came close from a free-kick, rattling the woodwork.
Every corner seemed to carry danger, whipped in with pace and accuracy, giving Falkirk’s defence a torrid time.
Brendan Rodgers acknowledged the scrutiny the midfielder has faced but was keen to defend his progress.
“There’s obviously negativity around Arne and some of these guys, but for a manager, we’ve put a really good player in, we took a really good player out,” Rodgers told TCW. “And then I can change it and it’s great for the squad. So his attitude is great. He tired a little bit, so he had a little bit of looseness towards the last five, 10 minutes, but his quality from his set piece and his general work rate and intensity was great.
“So he’s a boy that gives everything. And there’s a lot on his shoulders as an expensive player. But we bought potential. The club has bought potential many times. And a lot of them aren’t here. This is a guy who has potential but it cost a little bit more. And you have to pay that little bit more because if you’re going to be sat away in Bayern Munich and watching the team play and he has that athleticism, then that’s what you need because it costs you money. But he’s nowhere near the finished article.
“We’ve just had to pay more for potential. You can buy potential at a million quid and two million quid. And a lot of the time, it doesn’t work. Sometimes it does. I will tell you a lot of time it doesn’t. But him, we’ve had to pay a little bit more to get the athleticism, to get the physicality that this team needed. And now I’ve got great options in there. Guys that are physical but guys that are technical. So I don’t complain.”
The challenge for Engels now is to turn flashes of promise into consistent performances. His display against Falkirk was an encouraging step in the right direction.
He’s in a battle with Reo Hatate and Benji Nygren, neither of whom has started the season strongly. He will get his chance, from off the bench at the start in a slightly rotated team, and if he continues his impressive performances, he will force his way back into the starting XI.
