Noa Lang made the right choice leaving Ajax for Club Brugge, former Holland international Andy van der Meyde has claimed after another fine Champions League display from the Celtic-linked forward (Het Laaste Nieuws).
A dreadful defensive record combined with a lack of invention in the final third always spelled danger for Neil Lennon but few expected the Scottish champions to bomb out of Europe in such humiliating fashion.
After exiting the Champions League at the second qualifying phase, Celtic’s myriad failings have left them holding the wooden spoon in the Europa League group stage.
What’s more, no team in the competition has conceded more goals so far than the toiling Glasgow giants.
With that in mind, Lang’s impressive displays in Europe’s premiere club competition feel like a classic case of adding insult to injury.
The former Ajax starlet was a target for Celtic before moving to Club Brugge in a £5.5 million deal in the summer (Goal).
The confident Dutchman has since scored four times in Belgium and, after netting in the 3-0 thrashing of Zenit last week, forced the opener in Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Lazio. His venomous long-range effort was spilled by Pepe Reina into the path of a grateful Ruud Vormer.
“I was shocked, you know, when Noa left Ajax,” former Inter Milan, Everton and Holland star Van der Meyde reflects.
“I thought it was a shame and I didn’t expect him to go to Club Brugge.
“If you look at him now, it was a good choice. First, take a step back in order to be able to move two steps forward again. Maybe Ajax will buy him back?”
Whether Celtic would represent “two steps forward” from a Brugge side that battered Zenit and gave Lazio an almighty scare in the Champions League is up for debate.
But the Hoops are crying out for a player like Lang, a forward who often strays across the line between confidence and arrogance but, crucially, has the ability to back it up at the top level of the European game.
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