Michael Stewart on Celtic’s midfield as star who is ‘very close’ to becoming a starter pinpointed

Add as preferred source on Google

Brendan Rodgers has lots of exciting competition for places at Celtic, with no area more well-stocked than the Bhoys’ midfield.

The Irishman invested £15.5 million in the summer on Paulo Bernardo, Luke McCowan and record signing Arne Engels, adding guile and craft to an area already rich in talent.

Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate already hold prevalence within the Celtic starting line-up. At the same time, the fact Odin Thiago Holm hasn’t been seen in months is evidence of the squad depth at Rodgers’ disposal.

There is no coincidence that savvy incomings have led to the Bhoys’ upward trajectory in the Champions League. Eight points from five matches have put the Scottish top-flight champions in pole position to secure knockout playoff round progression against Dinamo Zagreb tonight.

Looking ahead to the tie, Michael Stewart has evaluated the Celtic pecking order and why there are plenty of reasons to be positive for Rodgers.

Michael Stewart on Celtic duo Arne Engels and Luke McCowan

Discussing Celtic’s midfield, Stewart pointed to the arrivals of Engels and McCowan as evidence of the new-found depth Rodgers has to play with in the engine room.

He also predicted that although McCowan has yet to start a European tie, the 26-year-old is getting ‘very close’ to achieving that feat.

Stewart said on the Scottish Football Social Club: “Looking at the bigger picture for Celtic in regards to recognising and talking about the strength they’ve got in the middle of the park. On the biggest stage in Europe, they’re doing well; rewind to the summer there; they sell one of their best assets, Matt O’Riley, and it’s been seamless.

“They’ve brought in Luke McCowan, they’ve brought in Engels, and they have probably greater strength in depth there this season than they did last season. That shows you how you create longevity and sustainability really because you’re making a profit and continuing to progress as a club.

“It is a very, very well-oiled machine. Especially the midfield, there’s no doubt there’s good competition for places. I said last week as well, I don’t have any concerns about Engels because we’ve already seen the quality he had when he first joined. I think just that little spell when he’s not started every week has helped him because I think he was good against Hibs, scored a good goal, good timing into the box, nice finish and I think his performance will continue to improve.

“Midweek, it’s a big one for Brendan Rodgers; who does he go with? I do genuinely believe that Luke McCowan is getting closer to it; I don’t think he will start; I think Engels will start alongside McGregor and Hatate, but I think Luke McCowan is getting very close to getting in a European team.”

Celtic competition drives performance levels across the squad

Without competition comes complacency and a sense of comfort, which certainly hasn’t been felt at Celtic this season amid regular rotation during a heavy fixture schedule.

Ultimately, the engine room is one of the most important areas of the field, and the Bhoys have a wealth of options that bring different quantifiable features to the table that can be utilised.

In the case of McCowan, he has rarely failed to make an impression. With figures such as himself pushing for starts, Hatate, McGregor, Bernardo and company have also had to raise their level to maintain a slot in the side.

Rodgers is responsible for making crunch decisions, and you wouldn’t envy the Irishman when deciding on who to include from the beginning to face Dinamo Zagreb.