The transformation in Arne Engels’ standing since October is staggering. He started only four of the first 12 games last season before the departure of Brendan Rodgers and was benched for both Champions League qualifiers. Along with Callum Osmand, Arne was another that Shaun Maloney had an immediate word to Martin O’Neill about. The player started in Martin’s first game, against Falkirk, and in every subsequent match when fit.
His metamorphosis through to the end of January was enough to temp Nottingham Forest to bid £25m for him that month. Fair value, for sure, but it was not the right time for Celtic to sell. Within two weeks the player was injured and out until the middle of April.
Arne returned to action as a second half substitute at home to St Mirren, then was handed a starting spot for every game during the season climax. He was instrumental in the run-in to the title, although that penalty against Hearts is not one I enjoy watching back. Arne doesn’t turn 23 until next month and still has scope to continue to improve. A year in the Championship with West Ham is probably a good step before the rigours of the EPL.
This is the model. Recruit players with developmental potential, empty gifted coaches who are able to develop players, sell at a profit and go again. And stop appointing vandals.
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👍💚
And stop appointing vandals.
Cause we all know that the vandal were conquered by the goths,Alan and hun, we wouldn’t want that would we …😜😉
P67
Dearie me – Another dig at one of our most successful managers. Calling him a vandal is a new low.
Paul could have been meaning Wilf , but I doubt it
Unbelievable comment
Bognorbhoy
Haven’t seen any article from Paul criticising the people who appointed Wilfried
LoL, I’ll repost this before it all kicks off. It’s probably relevant to the subject matter.
That Liverpool news is an unwelcome reminder of the SPFL’s constraints.
Based on the numbers quoted, the Bezos consortium paid 7.8x trailing 12 month revenue compared to Celtic’s current valuation of c.1.4x. This values Liverpool equity at a whopping 27.5x more than Celtic’s, the value of which has gone up 18-fold since 2010 versus 5x for Celtic.
Unfortunately it implies no one can see any form of league reconstruction coming anytime soon.
Brendan attempted to make Arne play in a totally different way to the player we bought , he shuffled him around the pitch , dropped him to the bench to watch the game and eventually the ego kicked in and moved him to the naughty step.
A case study in the God manager complex 2 year cycle picking favourites and if you don’t respond to the elite coaching your binned off.
Arne came through it and always gave 100%.
HH
Ekbhoy
Every manager has favourites – perhaps Hatate is a victim with MON
I don’t see the transfer of Arne confirmed anywhere so gun jumping taking place here, young player inconsistent massive expectations he was also bad mouthed as a waste of money on here by those piling up on BR and it still continues, if a coach recognises something about a player it is his professional responsibility to do something that will help, how come all the issues with Schmeichel were missed?
Hatate looks to me as if he believes he is better than he is and is owed something
Paul67
Yip, he lives rent free in your head, said it before and will say it again and again and again if needs be, you need help.
The vandal you speak of is responsible for amassing countless silver baubles, without googling one of the most of any manager in our history, he is responsible for the excess £ squillions we have in the bank which allows us to delve into the market at a much higher value than we did previously, he helped put us on the world wide market as never before, but you and many others still slag him off at every chance you get, aye you need help.
Never a word about the insider dealings re him coming back, did he force them to appoint him a second time, was he coerced into coming back, or was he promised certain things that didn’t transpire when he came back, why not ask these questions, maybes you won’t like the answers…..
Appointing him to work along side Pedro when a blind man could see they hated each other, what a superb business decision that was, not.
The Vandals are the controller shareholders and the non contributions of the non executive directors in my eyes…🔍
We would’ve made a larger return om Arne if we had been prepared and made Champions league last season and if he had made the world cup & not been part of mismatched struggling side football team with 7 failures of 9 to reach a Champions league due to your employers PB.
Hatate is in the CL squad as a defender in place of Colby Donavan, the Ox is also there when he is suspended and Engles is there when he has been sold….or has he
It beats me how anyone can be so hostile about one of our most successful managers. Something personal must have happened, why not tell us, then maybe we’ll understand.
total feckin nugget or click bait ?
will be very said to see engels go – that said if only hatate could get his act together – a couple of seasons ago, he was an absoolute joy to watch – time stood still when he stood on the ball and decided his next move
sorry if posted already…
https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fderek-mcinnes-has-had-a-worse-start-to-his-rangers-v0-7ss7p7ncn7jh1.jpeg%3Fwidth%3D1089%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D67c7d6516f053b4998fa50ac607f0992f27ed9d8
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2124093237839966/posts/4531345153781417/
Ouch.
Think I’ll pass on this one, Paul.
It’s all about the outcome.
Brendan left after doing really well with the first team right up until the short period he didn’t.
Celtic were rocked …
(punching ourselves in the face a couple of times didn’t help)
but stayed up and made it back to the corner
Celtic won a double.
Arne improved and got his move.
Celtic made a profit.
Icebergs astern of you shouldn’t bother you
… unless, of course, you intend to sail back in this direction in future.
Which Celtic are not planning to do.
Time to look ahead.
Excellent Paul. Always great to read your opinion. Saturday blogs a bonus!
Bordering on shock jock stuff for hits now….
WBC- It’s the Conference League sleeve badge,which clubs must have
Wild take to try and hide that buying quality players means quality on the pitch and the ability to charge premium sales prices.
You thought we paid too much for Arne and yet we have made an £11m profit.
Would Rodgers have wanted and played Hassan and Hogh? Absolutely he would. But Celtic stuck to high volume low value and broke a promise to Rodgers that things had changed.
Ffs, call the manager who signed a player a ‘vandal’
A new low for CQN
Question – who is telling you these stories? And why?
Such a positive week on the blog is ruined by derangement syndrome
Sad. Very sad
(When Reo exits, will Martin get the same treatment or is that outwith your blinkered view)
Paul, reading your leaders is often a bit like watching Scooby Doo – the good stuff from the 70s.
Except here, no matter which villain they pull the mask off at the end, it’s always Brendan Rodgers underneath.
It’s both funny and troubling, this perspective of yours.
IfItHadn’tBeenForThosePeskyKids CSC
PS
(Was it wrong to kinda fancy the cartoon Daphne, back then?)
A narrative emerging in the last few days …
“Pro board” types previously castigating Arne’s purchase specifically as a waste of money?
I recall the ad nauseam chat about Adam Idah
Don’t remember similar about Engels?
GENE on 15TH AUGUST 2026 11:42 AM
Ekbhoy
Every manager has favourites – perhaps Hatate is a victim with MON
….
I take your point but Arne was the club record signing and it was pretty clear after 6 games , the manager didn’t really know what to do with him.
I think bravado is a better choice than vandal , Brendan thought he could get Arne to do different stuff on the pitch , he couldn’t , if you were being cruel the elite coaching failed, or calculated gamble with £11M didn’t really pay off.
HH
https://youtu.be/U7lqtjT-Gsw?is=ew1J8QK5O0_kD4eO
“….was enough to temp Nottingham Forest to bid £25m for him that month. Fair value, for sure, but it was not the right time for Celtic to sell”.
I do hope this is the right time to sell.
If we are not planning on signing a direct replacement midfielder (not sure Baur is that) and drop him in versus Lask, then a lightweight midfield could see us making them look like PSG. They will be well coached, organised and athletic but they are not a top European side. No excuses.
the Bada Bing on 15th August 2026 12:27 pm
WBC- It’s the Conference League sleeve badge,which clubs must have
Thank you…now I understand the hun’s comment. lol
PS King Lubo last article…
As a fan of wee Greg and big Liam – like you are – I’ll join you in a minority of two !
that wee splash of green on the conference league logo ………
enough of an excuse to see the staunchers walking away.
Good afternoon all from this elderly vandal in the Dubliner, bonny Dundee. Let’s rock this joint! 😉😁
John,
I was a bit envious of the thought of sitting on a train to dundee on a lovely day like this, but I think you arrived too early, it is another 4 hours till kick off, to pass the time take a trip to the mcmanus museaum, say hello to desperate dan, and have wee look at assorted penguins,
unless you are doing something else of course.
saint stivs
August 15, 2026 1:54 pm
Scotlands co-efficient – and aff oout.
Celtic will begin their European campaign next week, joining the other four, and will face LASK in the Champions League play-off. They are already guaranteed a place in the Europa League phase if they lose, with projected minimum earnings of about €13m, rising to around €29m if they reach the Champions League. Their minimum Europa League earnings are boosted by the €4.29m fee paid to Champions League play-off losers, which they would receive should LASK progress.
Only act of vandalism I can see,is the selling of Arne Engels before the CL play offs.We surely were not that desperate for the money.Or maybe the injury to AJ spooked our Board.Who knows.
Stivs 1.32
A museum Higgie? That’s a pub to me. 🤣
The Vandals: A comedic punk rock band formed in 1980 in Huntington Beach, California.