Arne Engels

I really don't see many, if any, being overly harsh on the lad.

Almost everyone is able to admit and see he is a talent, but needs dropped for a period to help himself and the squad.

In a way that he gets a rest from constantly playing and having more (relatively) poor games than would be ideal.

Some players, during development years, need a little rest from the action.
That's not a bad thing to acknowledge.

At the same time, we are able to acknowledge others in the squad are in better form and are able to help out for each other.

It's literally a positive suggestion to have Engels rested from some games currently.

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Scapegoat for what?

Mentioning someone has been pish for weeks isn't "scapegoating", especially not when it's mentioned in their dedicated thread...

 

A myth that fans are looking to do that, how many players were scape goated after the win over Leipzig?

None, why, because they all performed that night, Engels has been under performing for multiple games in a row now, the criticism is justified, hence why he's getting it, with the added frustration being that everyone knows Bernardo should be starting ahead of him atm on form and hasn't been, hopefully Bernardo will now get a well deserved run ahead of him in the starting 11

 

Not gonna give up in him just yet but he has been pretty poor of late and deserved the criticism.

He's still adjusting to our style and league and country hopefully.. We've seen this with plenty of players who just need time to adjust to life here. Kuhn being the prime example I'd say

Coming from Ausburg to Celtic is a complete change of environment and maybe BR is trying to change his style of play.

First few games he played he was outstanding so maybe just a dip in form, it happens.

Probably stands out more too because of the price tag and everyone else in the squad playing really well for the most part .

 

Well said about the midfield . Reo, Cal ,Engels have been the midfield for our two best performances of the season as you mentioned and been the CM that has us where we are in both leagues largely speaking. They had a bad performance as a unit on Wednesday and all of a sudden we look disjointed and those three can't play together. Another example of reactiveness from fans who make sweeping and definite statements about the squad based solely on the most recent 90 minutes.

 

Hearts and Kilmarnock games midfield was poor too. Yesterday midfield was much better than either of those games.

Competition is good and to be expected. Any time Bernardo or McCowan has been subbed on they've made really positive contributions. Engels and Hatate have to compete for their places and earn them surely?

 

Competition is fierce.. it's exactly what we want. Only us as a fanbase can turn that into a negative.


Nobody plays well at Kilmarnock, I actually wanted McCowan to start that game due to him having experienced playing there etc..but it actually probably did Engels good, with how physical they were etc..

Hearts he was poor.. as said lots of times consistency is the key for him.

If we take Brugge, thought we were outplayed and Bernardo made a difference when he came in, but the same Bernardo was awful in Dortmund, McCowan is untested at that level..(posted some comments on his thread)

We all know what Hatate gives us.

I'm actually loving this competition for places and it's making us hungry, meaning games like yesterday become much more convincing, with that competition.

 

Same mate. Hatate is still inconsistent but the competition seems to have spurred something in him, he's having poor points in games but turning it around.

Bernardo was terrible against Dortmund but who wasn't?

Great place to be in, Engels to me hasn't looked great at all, but given the amount of games we have he'll get plenty of game time regardless. He's not going to lack chances to contribute and improve which is why I think the current debate on him a bit of an unnecessary side show.

 

As has been said by others, would like to see Engels at the base of the midfield protecting the back four, making interceptions and controlling distribution to the forwards.

Think he would do well in this role with Bernado and McCowan doing the donkey work in front of him.
Personally from observations, I just don't think he works well pushed forward and combined with Hatate and McGregor, neither who are midfield destroyers.

I don't exactly remember Engels excelling in the Leipzig and Aberdeen games, but I could be wrong, average but not exceptional.

Engels has scored what, three goals and six assists in sixteen appearances for Celtic as an attacking midfielder, but that seems a distance ago, and haven't we also seen a downturn in the delivery and quality of his corners.

Engels is playing recently like someone who is shorn of confidence, and unsure what his exact role is in the team.

That is a tough job for any manager to turn around, unless he nurtures Engels's self confidence, and identifies his best position in the team, and accurately selects who his complimentary, supporting players should be, otherwise there is a real danger of trying to force a round peg into a square hole.

I recognise Brendan has to justify to the Celtic board the outlay of £11M for Engels, but to be able to do that, my sense is he has to reset his original vision for Engels in the team, and make the necessary, tough decisions to implement that rethink.

My concern remains, Brendan may be digging a hole for himself, by persevering with him as a No.8.

 

He’s literally just * signed

 

Why on earth would you want that?

It's literally the weakest part of his game that we've seen so far!

 

Simple puts.

He was playing in that DM position with Augsburg and he looked exceptional from the YT's on this forum.

Brendan is trying to shoehorn him into an 8 to accommodate McGregor I suspect. I think Brendan if he wants to protect his £11M investment, has to come quickly to a firm decision, either rest McGregor or move him up to the 8 position, let's face it, Callum has gave up his international career to focus on playing for Celtic, and possibly extending his playing career like Brown did, a few more games on the bench would do him some good, and give us a chance to assess Engels in the No.6 position.

It's either that, or leave Engels out to dry in his unnatural position as an attacking midfielder.

 

To be fair there's plenty of footage of Engels excelling further up the pitch for Augsburg.

 

He looked box to box with Augsburg from the videos I seen of him.

 

What's McGregor got to do with Engels?

McGregor has been playing the deepest of the midfield trio for the last 4 seasons.

Engels would be best deployed further up the pitch as far away from defensive duties as possible.

 

I've only ever seen videos of Engels playing the defensive midfield role, sometimes possibly in a double pivot.

I think he started as a defensive midfielder with Augsburg, then moved up, and also played on the right, so versatility seems to be in his game.

Quite a few of us on the Engels transfer thread, believed we were getting a defensive midfielder in Engels, including myself.

 

…and many more of us didn’t have a single clue what you were getting at. His vid makes it quite clear that he’s flourished at CM, and that his short-term stints at DM were no more than that. No more cause to think he’s a natural DM than a natural RB - a position he’s similarly filled-in at a handful of times.

 

I think the quotes speak for themselves, and there are others. There is more than one video on Engels floating about, and none of them seem conclusive it would seem. I don't think Brendan even quite knows his best position, so to suggest he is a natural CM at this stage would be presumptive imo.

 

lol. Aye, alright. Played every game there for us so far. But aye - it’s ‘presumptive’. Chase yersel.