One of the character flaws my wife detected in her husband a long time ago is a form of financial illiteracy.
“You think a pound is a lot of money,” is the observation she frequently makes to substantiate her allegation. Guilty as charged, your honour. But, if it please the court, only to a point. I also have the financial acuity to know that £11million is an awful lot, especially when it is spent to bring a player to a team who already have a superiority over their domestic rivals that’s as long as it is broad.
Arne Engels obliterated Celtic’s record transfer fee in the summer when he joined from Belgium. He was immediately impressive, proving the wisdom of the old saying ‘You get what you pay for’. On that basis, I don’t think it’s outrageous to suggest a player of his calibre might be thought an automatic starter in the first showpiece of the season, the Premier Sports Cup Final against Rangers.
But Engels has started to cut a puzzling figure. His manager Brendan Rodgers was moved to publicly defend Arne when the player’s performance level visibly dipped.
His point about the slow, but sure, transformation of Nicolas Kuhn into a contributor of high standing was well made. But days like this are surely the precise reason why you break the bank to sign a game changer.
Extraordinary money, by Scottish standards, is put out on extraordinary talents and not bit-part players. And that’s what Engels was when Celtic played Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League tie in Croatia on Tuesday night.
Paolo Bernardo did well in the Balkans. Reo Hatate was hit and miss in the midfield. Luke McCowan is ineligible for the cup final, Callum McGregor, the captain, is undroppable.
Engels was first pick, and first goalscorer, against Hibs in the Premiership last weekend. His goal celebration, if that is the appropriate word, was to act as if nothing had happened, prompting dismay among the students of body language.
Engels had the demeanour of someone who was wondering if he had done the right thing by coming to Scotland. Whatever is the case, Arne is due to remind us of what all the fuss, and financial outlay, was about in the first place. And that is from the start of games as opposed to coming off the subs’ bench.
Having looked at it from all Engels, so to speak, if an £11m player is not a certain starter on cup final day then you run the risk of questions being asked if anything goes wrong. Nothing will mitigate against mayhem if Philippe Clement manages the losing team today. But Rodgers won’t get a free pardon if Celtic are defeated, no matter how far in front he is in the title race.
Artistically, Rodgers has a side capable of suggesting they’re from a different level to their rivals. Realistically, they will not be allowed to forget it if Celtic lose.
Clement has yet to have the pleasure of a derby win in five attempts and 15 months of trying to make that breakthrough. There was a time when even the most hardcore optimists among the Ibrox support would have dismissed the possibility of victory at Hampden.
But by their manager’s own admission, Celtic have started to lack quality in the final third. Apart from Engels needing to turn up and lend a hand, Kyogo needs to revert to type as well.
In 18 Champions League ties, Kyogo has scored three goals. But he’s scored eight against Rangers since coming from Japan, a significant improvement.
To sum up the difference, eight goals is a higher figure than the seven touches Kyogo had on the park against Dinamo Zagreb. Celtic need the best version of Kyogo at Hampden.