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Celtic Will Barely Miss Stuart Armstrong. That’s How Far We’ve Come As A Team.

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Even as Ibrox Noise squeals in frustration as another large sum heads north to stuff our bulging bank account, Celtic is sitting pretty on a nice fee for a player who was only going to play a bit-part role in the coming campaign.

From the moment Rogic signed a new deal the writing was on the wall.

Ntcham, Rogic and McGregor; Celtic has enough firepower through the middle of the park before we even get to our three quality strikers that, if we’re being honest, we’ll barely miss Armstrong at all. Aside from Rogic, who is quality, this is because we’ve made one shrewd signing and we’ve developed one exceptional footballer.

Someone asked me a while back, after Armstrong had failed to sign a new long term deal, settling for a one year extension, who would score our midfield goals if he left. I said Callum McGregor almost at once, but I had no idea how good that kid was going to become.

He’s a more than adequate replacement.

In fact, I think he looks like becoming a better attacking player.

But it’s Olivier Ntcham who is the game changer. He can play in a defensive role, where Armstrong had serious weaknesses, and he can also get forward and create and score chances. Ntcham is just a huge talent, and from the moment he was signed you got the impression that somebody was going to go.

Armstrong was the obvious one.

The idea of losing such a powerful midfield presence would have been genuinely un-nerving just three years ago. With Brendan at the helm and with McGregor back where he belongs, as an attacking force, we’ve never looked stronger. Added to that the signing, the January before last, of Kouassi Eboue, and we have an outstanding midfield group.

And Brown aside, all these guys are in their early 20’s or younger.

It is a credit to Brendan and our team-building plans that we’re here. We saw the Armstrong departure coming a mile down the road and prepared for it. We’ll hardly miss a beat here, and that we got such a good fee for him, plus add on’s and ubiquitous sell-on clause, really does represent excellent business all round.

Onward and upwards Celtic.

In Brendan We Trust.

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