“In terms of the difference between the Bundesliga and the Scottish Premiership, I know, what do you think there will be?” the journalist asked Arne at the beginning of their conversation. Since some people would be shocked that you moved from one of the world’s biggest leagues to this one here in Scotland. What distinctions do you perceive between them? Think it will fit your style of play? [YT Celtic]
This is exactly the patronising behaviour we have been accustomed to. The fundamental presumption here is that players should aspire to play in the Bundesliga rather than the SPFL. Although the Bundesliga is undoubtedly one of the best leagues in Europe, Celtic is a huge team that plays in front of one of the most fervent fan groups in football. Why should anyone doubt a player’s desire to stay at Paradise and advance their career?
But the foolishness didn’t stop there. The same reporter then sent out the following follow-up: “Matt O’Riley was one player that left in some capacity. He joined the team a few years ago, became rather successful there, and then departed for a lucrative position with a major Premier League team further south. Is it the kind of path you’d like to follow, without implying that’s what you want to do? Arrive, get right in, score a tonne of goals, win a tonne of trophies, and then you have no idea what lies ahead in a few years?
The talk went from questioning Arne’s decision to join with Celtic to presuming he was already plotting his getaway so swiftly it was almost comical. The persistent suggestion that players should only see Celtic as a stopgap utterly misses the mark. A lot of gifted players come to Glasgow and flourish, contributing significantly to our victories before moving on to their next project.
This line of inquiry is being made days after it was revealed that certain journalists were calling Callum McGregor names behind closed doors for choosing to stay at Celtic rather than transfer to the Premier League when he had the opportunity. These are the men who get paid to provide expert coverage of our game.
The way the media is focussing more on Engels’ potential length of stay than his potential impact at Celtic demonstrates a mismatch between what reporters cover and what the public wants to hear. We concentrate on the things that really count, such as the player’s goals for Celtic, their potential to influence the team, and their ability to build relationships with the fans, when fan media sites like CeltsAreHere pose questions.
We don’t want to write stories that cast doubt on why someone would sign with Celtic or advocate for the next big exit. We are aware of the club’s culture and the significance of signing players like Arne Engels to Celtic. Sure, we will voice our opinions when needed, but our primary goal is to help our fans.
While we aren’t stupid enough to believe that Arne will not be Celtic’s ultimate goal, we do want to appreciate what he can provide the squad in the early going and concentrate on how he can assist Celtic advance as he grows.
Fans won’t have to worry about the absurd narrative that certain press members like to promote when Arne gets settled in and starts contributing to the team’s success.
The boys have a busy month ahead of them, and with Celtic’s investment in Arne, it is likely that Brendan Rodgers will get him involved in the action shortly.
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