Brendan Rodgers Blamed For Wasting Celtic Player Against Rangers
Before 2025, Brendan Rodgers had tasted defeat just once against Rangers. After Sunday, he has lost both the Glasgow Derbies that have been played so far this year.
Naturally, Rodgers will need to figure out what is suddenly going wrong for his side against the Rangers. Even in the Scottish League Cup final, which Celtic won on penalties, they conceded three goals.
Perhaps most worryingly, these defeats have come against a Rangers team that has struggled for form and consistency throughout the season.
So, is this a matter of Rangers raising their game in the Glasgow Derby? Is it because the Celtic players have gotten complacent? Or a combination of both?
Rodgers might be getting his tactics wrong as well. For example, Marvin Bartley felt that Arne Engels struggled playing as a number six against Rangers at the weekend.
According to 67 Hail Hail, Bartley said while speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard: "For me, he was wasted in that deeper role, he really was.
“There were a couple of times in the game where he went a little higher and tried to make some forward runs.
“I know some people are saying it is his natural position, but for me, he just didn’t look comfortable at all. He looks so much more comfortable playing as a number eight.
“He’s not one of them that looks like he wants to build the game. We speak about Callum McGregor and he gets on the ball and drops in between the two centre-halves when he needs to glue everything together.
“Engels didn’t look comfortable, at all, in trying to do that role. This game, as a number six, the game passed him, and when he was trying to do things, then he was just trying to force things."
Engels certainly did not have a good game against Rangers at Parkhead. To be honest, his form has been inconsistent throughout the course of the season, since being brought in as the club's record signing in the last summer transfer window.
The Belgian international is still just 21 years old though. So, the fans need to be careful, not to expect too much from him straight off the bat. It is not unnatural for a player like him to take some time to find his feet at Celtic.
_(1)_(1)-a8b9e3263c07ebedffea3eb09b7fe486.png "Sourav Mahanty")
Sourav, a seasoned sports journalist, holds a Master’s degree in English from Amity University, graduating in 2022. He has been a prominent contributor to FanSided since 2017, primarily covering Celtic, where he has built a strong online presence over the years. His love for the game extends beyond Celtic, having also covered renowned soccer teams such as Manchester United, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, FC Barcelona, and Chelsea. In addition to his passion for soccer, Sourav is an avid basketball enthusiast. He has written extensively about NBA teams like the Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, and Chicago Bulls.