Like most people, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the World Cup. The feedback I’ve heard has been very positive and everybody seems to be embracing it. We are gradually getting used to the VAR too. I probably wish we had it back in my day as a manager on certain occasions. It may have depended on what referee was looking at it, mind you!

There has been added intrigue to affairs in Russia with the presence of Mikael Lustig and Dedryck Boyata on the world’s biggest stage. The fact the Celtic duo’s respective nations, Sweden and Belgium, have both progressed to the last 16 means we will get the chance to observe their progress for a little bit longer.

As an experience, there can’t be anything finer than competing in this global showpiece. Lustig and Boyata will both benefit greatly from this. Boyata, I would suggest, will probably glean more from it. He is still a relative newcomer to the cut-and-thrust of the international scene whereas Lustig has been around for a period of time. While this taste of World Cup will undoubtedly stand them in good stead and is an occasion to savour for the players, it does give Celtic some slight concerns going forward.

The problem, of course, is that the Champions League qualifiers are looming. Lustig and Boyata have played longer than anybody else in that team and their season has been extended. They will need a break when they come back and Brendan Rodgers will be very much aware of that. Now that there is an additional qualifying round for Celtic to negotiate, they will need these players with a variety of tough tests to come. The World Cup could have a knock-on effect. Of course, the main powerhouses of the European game don’t really need to worry about players being involved in the tournament. Their Champions League campaigns don’t start until late August or September. For a team like Celtic, however, it tends to be case of all hands to pump on the playing front and the impact of having two key players in Russia will be much greater.

One player Celtic have waved goodbye to is Stuart Armstrong, who has just signed for Southampton. It’s been a pretty profitable alliance between the two clubs down the years. Fraser Forster, Victor Wanyama and Virgil van Dijk have all made the move from Celtic to Southampton and Armstrong has now followed a well-trodden path. It wasn’t totally unexpected. I thought Armstrong performed exceptionally well, particularly during the season before last. When Olivier Ntcham came in, though, that had an impact. Armstrong had the attributes of a really good running midfielder and those were aided by his ability to chip in with some goals. But Celtic are very strong in that area of the pitch and this seems to be a move that suits all concerned. Celtic make a nice profit and Armstrong gets to test himself in the English Premier League. Will he handle the transition? I’d like to think so. Yes, the overall quality and strength in depth is better but if you can hold your form when playing for Celtic, particularly in the Champions League, then the step up to the English Premier League is not as daunting as people might imagine. I’d like to think Armstrong can flourish in this new chapter of his career.

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