The Rise Of Aaron Mooy Shows How Great The Celtic Manager’s Eye For A Player Is.

The weekend saw the third excellent game in a row from Aaron Mooy.

Those who have expressed their surprise ought to have had more faith in our manager. Mooy was on the list of targets last year, but Ange wouldn’t sanction a move for the kind of money his club wanted.

The moment he was available on a free we did not hesitate to swoop.

I love the armchair generals who still try to second guess the boss, in spite of an armload of evidence that he’s got a great eye for a player. He knew what the strengths of the big Aussie were, and those strengths are now coming to the fore.

Part of it is that Mooy is being played further up the field than he has been at any stage since signing. He is obviously a versatile footballer, but I really like him in that advanced role where he plays his part in the high press but basically acts as a playmaker.

I like his range of passing, his vision, the obvious quality he has in a central midfield role.

The idea that he might just be too slow for this team and this system has been shown up as false; many of us thought the same about James Forrest and he’s now proved that he has a role to play.

Mooy now clearly does too.

Ange is one of those managers where it is easier to list his failures than it is to list his successes; he has so few failures.

The idea that a guy he has known for years and knows everything about may not have been a wise signing was always a little daft … but it’s only now that he’s playing regularly that we can properly judge Mooy and it is great to see his quality.

He will be a fine option for us, even when Callum is fit. This is the proof of how strong the squad is, when players like Mooy and Forrest can show you that they belong and start making a big, big contribution.