How Champions League Disappointment Led to the Emergence of Stuart Armstrong
It was a match that every pundit and punter knew was crucial to Celtic’s Champions League campaign. The Hoops welcomed German side Borussia Monchengladbach to Parkhead on a chilly October night, knowing a victory would put them well on their way to European football after Christmas. The atmosphere from both sets of supporters was electric before kick-off and tensions ran high as both sides knew how pivotal the encounter was to furthering their European journey.
Unfortunately for the Bhoys, it was the German side who fed off the energy emitted from Glasgow’s East End that night. Like their faithful following, the Bundesliga side put on a fantastic display. With electric pace and movement, the Germans cut Celtic open time and time again and it was eventually two mistakes from trusted centre-back Kolo Toure that handed the Germans their first points of the group stage.
It was a performance that left all Celtic fans perplexed. Just a fortnight earlier, Celtic had gone toe-to-toe with Pep Guardiola’s City (who at the time had won 10 consecutive matches) in an enthralling encounter, but just two weeks later Brendan Rodgers’ men looked like they were out of their league against a team that was struggling in the Bundesliga.
On the night, Gladbach’s central midfield three of Kramer, Strobl, and Stindl were a class apart. Pulling the strings from beginning to end and dominating Celtic’s central three which was comprised of Rogic, Brown and Bitton. But out of the three it was the Israeli who looked the most out of place. Time and time again his passes went astray and his relaxed demeanor saw him caught in possession on several occasions.
On this particular occasion it was Callum McGregor who eventually replaced Bitton, but unfortunately the substitution was to little effect and Celtic crashed to a 2-0 defeat. The loss left Brendan Rodgers with some serious decisions to make ahead of a trip to Borussia Park on Matchday 4. And although none of his side showed up on the night it looked as though it was in central midfield where Celtic were lacking.
Perhaps inspired by the mobility, creativity, and technical skill of Borussia’s midfield that night, Rodgers turned to Stuart Armstrong in an attempt to add life to his midfield. A week after the defeat to Gladbach, Armstrong got his first full 90 minutes of the league campaign in a 4-0 win away to Ross County. Armstrong impressed on the night, scoring a goal and providing an assist for Patrick Roberts’ opener.
Since then the former Dundee United midfielder hasn’t looked back. Apart from the 1-0 win against Partick Thistle on December 20, Armstrong has featured in every minute of every game since that night at Dingwall. A run of games that has included three Champions League matches, a win at Ibrox, and 12 of Celtic’s 14 straight SPFL victories.
Armstrong originally came into the team to play alongside Scott Brown in Celtic’s 4-2-3-1 but an injury to Tom Rogic has seen him in the middle four of a 4-1-4-1 system. Armstrong’s mobility, creativity, and ability to press the opposition has taken this Celtic side to the next level. In both formations Armstrong has impressed, assisting on 5 occasions. His ability to find a pass in and around the box has provided this Celtic team with something they’ve been missing for a number of years.
Along with his passing ability, Armstrong has also been able to find the back of the net. The Scot currently sits 6th in SPFL scoring with 8 goals, averaging a goal every 148 minutes played. A stat that is very impressive considering star striker Moussa Dembele is currently averaging a goal every 144 minutes.
Armstrong has been impressive throughout recent months but his performance this weekend against Rangers proved that he’s the real deal. After a shaky first-half Armstrong took the game by the scruff of the neck and was involved in the game-winning goal, squaring the ball for Scott Sinclair. In fact, he was unlucky not to score a goal of his own and seemed to be the originator of every meaningful Celtic attack.
From a bit-part player to being one of the first names on the team sheet, Armstrong has come a long way in just a matter of months. Sometimes in football you need a defeat like the one against Gladbach to be the catalyst for change, on this occasion the change has undoubtedly proved worthwhile.
