It’s a mad world we live in, a world where Marko Arnautovic, a player of modest footballing talents, is transferred for as much as £24million and hardly an eyelid is batted. The money being bandied about in the game south of the border is becoming grotesque, arrogant to the point it is turning many off from the sport.
Roughly 100km separates Glasgow and England, but when it comes to the disparity in spending power between Celtic and England’s top league, they may as well be separated by several dimensions. To combat this unlevel playing field, Celtic have had to look for alternative methods of raising funds. The most prevalent method in recent years is the regular sales of top players. Wanyama, Forster and Van Dijk have all been sold for fees that make the prize money on offer in Scotland seem paltry in comparison. Aside from raising much-needed capital for the club, it also identifies what the club is for prospective recruits. Celtic, as unpalatable as it is for the majority of fans, has become a stepping stone. A visible, regularly monitored area for young, talented players to get acclimatised to the rigours of British football before making the journey south to claim their fame, and more importantly, their fortune.
This business methodology has allowed Stuart Armstrong the freedom to delay signing a new contract, whether to enhance his current deal or to force a transfer remains to be seen. It has, understandably, angered the fans who feel that after just one season playing at the peak of his powers, Armstrong still has a fair amount of development to go through before he is ready for the life in the Premier League.
Anger also stems from the prospect of losing, what has become of the last eight or so months, a real fan favourite. Under Deila, and the first few weeks of Rodgers’ tenure, Armstrong looked as though the highest he could climb in his career would be to act as a squad player. He looked indecisive, nervous, lacking in both pace and power, and most importantly woefully short of confidence. All this changed in October’s League Cup semi-final against Rangers. Brought on to replace the ineffectual Nir Bitton, Armstrong looked like a man possessed. Time after time he would pick up the ball in deep areas, spin his marker and drive into the opposing half. The injection of energy was just what was required to push Celtic over the line and deliver a much sought after 1-0 win.
From there the man with the luxurious locks of golden hair never looked back. He became a key component of the side, the perfect number eight, a man that was a happy medium between the mercurial talents of Tom Rogic and the deeper, destructive energy of Scott Brown.
BEN DELANEY
