Like every transfer window, Brendan Rodgers is keen for Celtic to continue adding reinforcements, but the emphatic win over Newcastle United showed just how much quality his squad already possesses…
Easing to a 4–0 win against Champions League opposition – no matter when it occurs in pre-season – demonstrates a team that has both quality and confidence, and a manager who knows what he is doing, which is why the club should be doing everything in their powers to keep him beyond this season.
It has been echoed across The Celtic Star and other fan media outlets but this situation needs sorted. And it needs sorted now. For the greater good, Brendan’s contract situation cannot be lingering in the background when the season starts.
Meanwhile, Celtic midfielder Arne Engels acknowledges that bringing in new players is part of the game, but maintains that he and his teammates have already proven their quality even before any fresh arrivals.
With more incomings needed, Rodgers’ men so far have recruited Kieran Tierney and Hayato Inamura to strengthen the defence, while Benjamin Nygren, Shin Yamada, and Callum Osmand add depth in attacking areas. Meanwhile, Ross Doohan has come back to the club to serve as the third-choice goalkeeper following the departure of Scott Bain.
Although Tierney and Nygren are expected to become starters when the competitive season comes around a week on Sunday, Rodgers is still seeking further reinforcements, yet Engels notes that the manager already commands a very strong squad.
Speaking post-match via Glasgow Times on Saturday against Eddie Howe’s side, the Belgian said: “We have a really good squad. “And there will be always rumours about players coming in, going. It’s up to us to keep this all inside and to work on the players that are here. You see that today also, that we have a lot of quality already.”
“We’ll see what’s going in and going out, we never know, but the squad that is now here is fantastic. All the boys are doing really well. Everybody that came in is really impressing us. Everybody is still settling in.”
Engels added: “Also, you see today everybody is doing well, is adapting to the system and to the style of play and to also the fitness that we ask from each other.”
“I’m really happy with all the guys, not only those two that are coming in and showing themselves in training also. It’s been a really good signing.”
The 21 year-old secured two trophies in his debut season in Glasgow and impressed in the 10 Champions League games he played in. Engels is hoping for more of the same this season.
“I’m trying to do my best here and to get ready for the new season,” he said. “There will always be rumours [about transfer speculation]and it’s up to me to just show on the field what I’m up to.”
“I’m here at Celtic and I really want to do great for this club and to reach a lot of things, so I’m not really thinking about something else.”
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Thank you to everyone who has already pre-ordered the late David Potter’s last ever Celtic book, Celtic in the Eighties, which will be published on the fifth day of September by Celtic Star Books. The link to pre-order your copy is below…
Nobody has addressed the possibility that a large amount of the transfer pot may have been spent on a signing bonus for KT.
5-10 M up front to keep the wage bill in balance?
I have no doubt that Engels is concerned incase we bring in a quality midfielder that should automatically mean his place in the team would be in jeopardy. Engels is 100% the weak link in our midfield.
We all hoped last season the close season together would give him the “jump” and “togetherness” feeling he lacked last season. But his performance against Newcastle on Saturday showed that absolutely nothing has changed from last season.
No more excuses for Engels. No more excuses for Trusty. Both players should be moved on, and whoever was dishing out MoM awards on Saturday needs to lay off the hallucinatory drugs before watching a game! Even Newcastle knew who to pressurize whehe had the ball! They knew he’d panic!
Trusty, like Engels was a bad decision. Let’s cut our losses and move on!