An early (and should be unnecessary) defence of Celtic’s record signing Arne Engels.

There’s a clear line between genuine, constructive criticism and going out of your way to focus on the negatives, and too many people seem determined to cross it.

Lately, there’s been a lot of this from certain parts of the Celtic support, particularly aimed at Arne Engels’ performances. Some fans are even questioning his value as a record signing. The issue, I suspect, is that a small section of the fanbase has become impossible to please—spoiled, perhaps, by the club’s recent successes.

For my part, I think Engels has been promising so far.

He’s shown enough to suggest he’ll be a vital player for Celtic moving forward. But because he’s not lighting up every game, bagging goals or assists left, right, and centre, some people are already questioning if he’s worth the investment. I’d wager those critics don’t fully understand what he brings to the team.

Take last night, for instance: he didn’t just step up and score the penalty for our second goal. He created the conditions for it. He won the ball back from Dundee in our own half and made a lung-busting run upfield to play Kyogo through beautifully. Kyogo, of course, turned his man and won the penalty. Engels showed his quality in that single move.

He was playing Callum McGregor’s role, which perhaps explains why one commentator described his performance as “flattering to deceive.”

McGregor’s role has never been the flashy, eye-catching one; it’s not where you typically look for standout moments. Fans focus on the forwards and attacking players, while McGregor’s position—and Engels’ last night—is more restrained, more about control.

The result of playing Engels there last night? It’s in the stats. Celtic enjoyed over 80% possession. Dundee’s midfield hardly made it past him all night.

Since signing, Engels has been shuffled around in three different midfield roles. Rodgers is clearly trying to shape him into a player in the same mould as Matt O’Riley. But last night, he was back in a deeper role more familiar from his early days in Germany, and he looked solid there.

This might just be the versatile midfielder we’ve been waiting for—someone who can seamlessly adapt to any number of roles in the engine room. We should all be excited about that, especially with his youth, talent, and a manager like Rodgers to help him push his limits and reach his potential.

And yet, this morning, I read a Celtic Way headline declaring, “Engels Flattered to Deceive Again.” That could have come from the pen of Gary Keown or Hugh Keevins or Keith Jackson, that one and it reminds us again that the outlet in question isn’t really a fan publication; it’s mainstream media masquerading as one.

But that headline is absurd. It’s the word “again” that is especially grating, as if they’re saying, “When is this lad going to show he’s a real player?” It’s the kind of comment you’d expect from some bile-soaked tabloid hack, an utterly graceless remark that ignores the bigger picture.

This language reeks of inexperience, of someone who doesn’t really understand what they’re watching. It’s the talk of someone who hasn’t seen a truly dire Celtic side, the language of the spoiled brat, unappreciative of the team in front of them. Arne Engels has plenty more to give, and those who actually understand football can see it.

Others just like to make noise. Let them.

The rest of us are cheering him on, instead of looking for any negative they can find.