Australia boss Graham Arnold has been gushing in his praise of Celtic star Tom Rogic and believes the midfielder is back to operating at a high level.
The Socceroos manager has some vital games coming up in the New Year and sadly for Celtic, it looks as if Arnold won’t hesitate to call up the Celtic star.
Due to the Glasgow Derby being moved, there’s a massive chance Tom will not be in Scotland when it takes place.
Australia have two World Cup qualifiers against Oman and Vietnam on Jan 27th and Feb 1st.
If Rogic is called up, he will miss the Glasgow derby tie. It looks as if it’s going to be inevitable the Celtic star misses out.
Reading between the lines, there’s no chance Graham is going to leave the player in Glasgow.
Arnold was full of praise : “You’re always going to miss a player of Tommy’s quality – he’s an amazing talent.” He told RecordSport.
“You’ve seen him at the forefront for Celtic in recent. weeks and when he’s in this type of form he can be unplayable at times.
“The thing with Tommy is he can beat players with his tight control and has the strength to hold off challenges and the technique to score wonder goals like the one in the 3-0 win over Dundee United.
“By the same token, he can just as easily lay it on a plate for a teammate to finish as was the case against Hibs. He’s matured into one of Celtic’s leaders over the years and you can see the level of confidence he has in every move he makes.
“To have him available again will be a big boost for us because when you’re without a special player it usually shows, in one way or another.
“He’s always looking to make things happen with a change of pace, a strike on goal or a killer pass – and that’s very tough to defend against.”
Arnold also believes Tom is back to playing at his best due to working with Ange Postecoglou again. The Australian has revived Tom’s Celtic career since becoming the manager in the summer:
He said: “They both know each other so well and there’s a great trust there.
“Ange knows what makes Tommy tick and how to bring out the best in him – and we’ve seen a lot of that this season.
“I think, in the mood Tommy’s in, there’s going to be a lot more to come from him, both for Celtic and Australia.
“I’m so happy for him, and where he is in his career, after a few tough years at Celtic.
“Everything is still in our own hands and remember that Japan still have to play the Saudis,. I have every faith in my players to do what needs to be done.”
Celtic need to make the January transfer window count. They play Hibernian in the first match after the winter break, hopefully by then, we have some new additions. If Tim has to go on international duty, we must ensure we’re covered.
