DAVIE HAY insists Celtic have found an £11million gem in record signing Arne Engels.
The former player and manager admits he has been massively impressed by the early showings from the Belgian playmaker after his deadline-day arrival.
In another CQN EXCLUSIVE series, the club great, now 76, reveals all as he speaks to Alex Gordon, who co-authored the former player and manager’s best-selling autobiography, ‘The Quiet Assassin‘.
Hay said: “Manager are judged on two fronts – results and transfers. There’s a lot of hard work in between, but those are the two testing areas which emphasise the difference between the team boss earning bouquets or brickbats.
READ ALL ABOUT IT…Davie Hay in Paradise with his autobiography, ‘The Quiet Aassassin’, co-authored by his friend and writer Alex Gordon.
“Football, as we all know, is a results-driven business. If a manager doesn’t perform on that front he won’t be around the place too long. It’s as simple as that.
“And to make sure the team chief remains in place, he has to get it right while operating in the quicksand of the transfer market.
“It’s all about risk taking and hoping the player you are bringing in can rise to the occasion and show he is money well spent.
“To balance the books – and the squad – you have to move on some individuals and, while wishing them all the best with their new employers, hope they do not go out and excel at a level that makes you look foolish for dispensing with them in the first place.
“Naturally, a lot has been made of Brendan Rodgers’ dealings in the recent window and the club have to be applauded for backing their manager’s judgement and breaking their transfer record twice.
“That shows commitment from the board and, speaking from experience, I can tell you a team boss welcomes that sort of full-on encouragement from the board.
“First impressions can often be misleading. A player can arrive on a euphoric high and perform at a level they can’t possibly sustain.
SMILES BETTER…Brendan Rodgers in confident mood before the season’s kick-off.
“I would put my house on that not being the case with Arne Engels. He looks like an absolute bargain at £11million.
“If the lad can keep away from injuries, I have no doubt whatsoever about his quality to go all the way to the top.
“The lad celebrated his 21st birthday just a week or so after arriving from Augsburg and he has simply eased his way into the Celtic way of things. That’s a skill in itself.
“There hasn’t been a period of transition as he settles into a new environment and gets to know new team-mates, their methods, how they play, their pretences and suchlike.
“We are forming opinions of a quality midfielder after just four games, two starts and two second-half appearances.
“Strangely, he has yet to kick a ball for the team outside Celtic Park. All four appearances have been at home against Rangers (3-0), Hearts (2-0), Slovan Bratislava (5-1) and Falkirk (5-2).
“We will see how he reacts to life away from the east end of Glasgow in the next three matches when my old club take on St Johnstone in Perth on Saturday, Borussia Dortmund in Germany on Tuesday evening and Ross County in Dingwall the following weekend.
“Three vastly different grounds and contrasting demands, but, once again, I would be amazed if Arne does not do the business.
“I’ve liked everything I’ve seen of Brendan’s recruit so far and I am convinced there is a lot more to come from the Belgian.
“In my days as a player, manager, chief scout and assistant general manager at the club, I’ve counted them in and counted them out. New arrivals with plenty of promise and with stars in their eyes, but the sheer weight of expectation and the relentless pressure of being a Celtic player can often overtake them. There is no hiding place in Glasgow.
“Slovan’s players obviously knew all about Engels when they turned up at Parkhead last week. They gave him a dunt or two early in proceedings to see how he would respond.
“Admirably, he simply ignored the attempts to unsettle him and continued to do what he does best and that was to distribute the ball with precision, make runs, put in tackles, fire in some shots, be available to take passes from colleagues and maintain the flow of the game.
WELCOME TO PARADISE…Arne Engels after his debut in the 3-0 derby triumph.
“Arne’s not quite the mirror image of Matt O’Riley – and I suppose comparisons between the players are inevitable – but he has fitted into Brendan’s jigsaw so effortlessly and seamlessly no-one can see the join.
“Celtic and Brendan have got themselves one helluva player, you can be sure of that.
“I see folk are already saying he’ll be in the £40million-plus bracket when he leaves. For goodness sake, give the guy the chance to kick the ball a few times for Celtic.
“Let’s enjoy the lad’s skills over the next whatever period and congratulate the scout who flagged up the player in the first place, Brendan’s foresight and the board for making it happen.
“That wasn’t always the case – and I can speak from painful experience after dealing with an entirely different set of directors when I was manager. But that’s a story for another day.
“Let’s applaud and appreciate what we are witnessing in the here and now.”
*TOMORROW: Don’t miss Day Five of club legend Davie Hay’s EXCLUSIVE look at Celtic – only in your champion CQN.
