If you were lucky enough, like me, to enjoy a long Christmas holiday, I hope you had a good one. I’m sure few of us are delighted to be back at it today but there’s an indisputable mood on the blog for bringing in the New. A fresh start is needed and fortunately we’re at the start of the transfer window.
For Celtic most attention will be directed towards recruiting a striker who is capable of doing the business in the Champions League, not to overlook the important point of doing the business in Champions League qualifiers. 20-year-old Icelandic striker, Holmbert Fridjobsson, finally joins the club this month but although we’ll hopefully see plenty of the player this month he is surely considered ‘one for the future’.
One prolific striker does not solve all of Celtic’s issues, however. The club remains acutely dependent on Kris Commons’ creativity (as well as goal scoring), which will become increasingly less-effective as opponents setup to inhibit him. He needs a foil.
Since the annihilation in Barcelona Celtic have offered greater protection from midfield but with both full backs encouraged to overlap the midfield anchor role, previously occupied by Wanyama, becomes crucially important. It also offers support to the strategy of allowing Commons a free role as an attacking midfielder.
Over the break, Archie MacPherson, Scotland’s greatest ever broadcaster, wrote an article for Celtic Quick News comparing two of Scotland’s greatest ever managers. These debates are, of course, subjective, but the article provides a few objective points for consideration. Archie has a totally unique range to deal with this question and is in no doubt as to who the master was. Look out for the article next week, you’ll enjoy it – no guessing now.
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Guess Who?
“But if we got the green light to go, then we certainly have possible signing targets. I’ve got a Plan A and a Plan B – probably a Plan C as well. I’m planned out my nut at the moment!”
Aussies “banging their length” to good effect, apparently.
Ooermissuscsc
The Exiled Tim, aye that’s me, my names no’ really Tommy !
Yamada is outstanding and I would love to get him but there is a better player in the J-league whom I have bent P67’s ear about for long and weary.
The lads name is Yoichiro Kakitani – currently of Cerezo Osaka, comprehensively brilliant in every aspect of forward play. If J. Park etc are aware of Yamada they will be aware of Kakitani – will be out of our reach after World Cup.
Speaking of Confeds Cup- I have an article out soon for J.Soccer Magazine entitled the Greatest Game You’ll Never Remember – Italy 4-3 Japan.
A truly outstanding game of football where like Real v Eintracht at Hampden Mexico ’70, and the recent Barca matches under Pep Guardiola, football became art.
TJ
The Japan international side getting a lot of praise on here tonight, and quite rightly so.
I would like to point out that they have an Italian coach, Alberto Zaccheroni who has been in the job for a few years now.
HH!!
Tontine Tim
That would explain why he shops and eats here with his lovely wife. Thanks
praecepta
00:10 on 4 January, 2014
Sally has a nut?
southside
00:11 on 4 January, 2014
Aussies “banging their length” to good effect, apparently.
Ooermissuscsc
###################
Chuckled at that too :-)
HH
BGFC
HaaaaarumphhhCSC
Man Utd share value drops £220M in December!
Tallybhoy
00:13 on 4 January, 2014
Dunno
Watched them play some silky passing in a World Cup qualifier at home in japan and they won comfortably 1-1.
The glorious balance sheet. Catching up BUT
See if you reverse order of your arguments below
I got banned from FF.
67…
…………………………………………………………….
the glorious balance sheet
22:45 on
3 January, 2014
Confused messages from UEFA regarding their treatment of the Newco.
On their website they list Rangers last game as being against St Johnstone in May 2012. So far, so good.
But in the co-efficient ranking list posted by Bawsman, http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/club/ , the former Rangers have been awarded the standard Scottish co-efficient of 0.650 in season 13/14. How can dead clubs be awarded co-efficient points?
Bawsman & TnT, excellent stuff back on pages 9 and 10, you’ve made my night.
Smashing, this calls for a dram…………………………………………Hic &*C%”
Margaret McGill
He’s got 2 – check his jowls!
jc2
00:15 on 4 January, 2014
It will sink in at some point. Hearts got the same.
M McGill
Sevco and Benburb nearby.
Before henrik came to us wiki stats are he had 211games and about with 99 goals at 24years old same age as alfred..but he has played 165 and scored 103..ask yourself why no one bought henrik before celtic did…just a thought
Night hh
Bernbub play at Tinto. Sevco ..cant find that football club anywhere?
Can you throw me a bone of some description?
DJBEE – you have hit the nail on the head. Energy. These Japanese lads will go forever. Beautifully tuned athletes. Technically brilliant and I dont lapse into exaggeration often. Japan are like ‘Spain light’.
Kagawa (Man Utd), Honda (AC Milan) and Kakitani are a brilliant front three.
Huge bandwagon rolling from Sendai to Tokyo to get the evergreen Nakamura in the squad also – you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.
Delaneys – it will be money well spent, regardless of the outcome, becaues you’ll fall in love with their spirit, endeavour, technique and attitude.
TJ
TJ
>}
That was a game I will never forget, Japan were superb, they did get hit with a sucker punch mind you, remidned me of Tommy Burns teams against the hun, but going forward were a joy to behold.
Can’t say that I know of the fella you mention, but will have a look see, if you have been banging on at Paul, it will have reached the boss, hopefully he has told his lacky to suss him out, and he gives him a favorable report.
Take care and god bless
HH
Tommy Joad
00:21 on 4 January, 2014
Did you mean Shinkansen?
TJ
Honda has always impressed me.
Great engine he has! :))
Big window for the club, we should already be planning for the Champs League in July, one or two signings that could walk in to the starting 11 are needed.
I’d like to see us push the boat out a bit, a real striker would make this team look so much better. We have missed Hooper more than we thought we would.
Is Lennon trying to force the club to back him by saying we could pay £6m for a player?
HH
TET
Spot on, they have a blazer and a fat wedge that we give them as well as the other teams.
They don’t care about the national team except they would like to see them actually qualify for a tournament because that would bring more pennies to their piggy bank. They work for one team who died but it will take all the teams to get together to get rid of them and that is not going to happen anytime soon. Most other teams fans think we work with them!!!! I can see the Sevco Inters going belly up again and being brought back into the fold. TIRFC/Sevco 5088/SevcoScotland/SFA/TRFC/TSPFL/TSAFL……Airdrieonians blah blooody blah
It is sick.
jc02 00.15:-
I don`t imagine they`re very big on free speech on FF :)
M McGill
I only throw bones at dugs.
Why you acting the goat?
The Exiled Tim, thanks and the same to your self.
Try and ignore the music and assess the brilliance of this guy.
Within our reach at the moment price wise, not so after WC
http://youtu.be/vPok10DrJAQ
TJ
Mags
Just wondered if he was one of the ones to get me barred
Glorious balance sheet……….winky eye thing ………..from FF
33 for 5!
Get on Sky Arts 1 for a guitar genius.
Why You Should Have Heard Of… Yoichiro Kakitani
WORDS: CHRIS COLLINS
A prodigious talent from the start, Yoichiro Kakitani lost his way at the point when things looked to be taking off for him as a youngster, but now he is back, refocused and scoring goals for Cerezo Osaka on a regular basis. Here’s why we think he could be the next major talent to come out of Japan…
The Cerezo Osaka production line has delivered plenty of emerging Japanese talent to Europe in recent seasons, with the Bundesliga the main beneficiary. Now, a few years later than anticipated, Yoichiro Kakitani looks set to be the next creative talent to come off the conveyer belt.
Shinji Kagawa, Hiroshi Kiyotake and Takashi Inui all earned their moves move to Germany having spent their formative years in Osaka under the guidance of Brazilian coach Levr Culpi. As his friends and contemporaries progressed, it appeared Kakitani’s talents were destined to wither on the vine, but he has achieved domestic and international recognition over the last six months, finally demonstrating the consistency required to break into Alberto Zaccheroni’s Samurai Blue squad.
Still only 23 years old, and having almost squandered his talents before they had fully developed, far less been widely appreciated, he looks certain to terrorise defences at the World Cup in Brazil next year.
Kakitani’s backstory is a familiar one. The youngest player ever to sign a professional contract with J-League outfit Cerezo Osaka, he was a teenage prodigy, firing his country to glory in the Under-17s Asian Championships, being named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player in the process.
In the Under-17s World Cup in 2007, his superb performances, which included a goal from the halfway line against France, drew the attentions of scouts from all over Europe, including Inter and Arsenal, both of whom he was invited to train with.
Playing anywhere across the frontline or in behind a striker, Kakitani’s balance, pace and immaculate control set him apart and marked him out as an attacker of outstanding potential with a lively and inventive football brain.
However, things quickly unravelled. Apparently unwilling to accept and adhere to the basic tenets of professionalism, his star began to wane soon after. Looking back he reflects he simply was not equipped to deal with the expectation.
“Honestly speaking, I don’t think I was ready to be a footballer. The way I was acting was completely unprofessional. Luckily I got a lot of support from a lot of people and now I am in a much better place.”
These “problems” have never been fully documented, though in a society that retains fairly traditional values, his attitude was frequently questioned, and his healthy self regard had seemingly outgrown even his own prodigious abilities. On the pitch, his play had become wasteful and extravagant, to the detriment of the team and his own individual statistics.
Culpi took the decision to loan him out to J2 side Tokushima Vortis, where he played for three seasons, enabling his personal growth and physical development. For a time it seemed he would not emerge from the lower divisions, but Culpi maintained a keen interest in Kakitani throughout his loan period, despite persistent rumours of a badly fractured relationship.
The Brazilian, more than anyone, was eager that he should return to Cerezo Osaka a more rounded professional.
“Yochiro is very similar to Shinji [Kagawa], when it comes to technical abilities, but compared to Shinji, who never let his eyes off the road, Yoichiro had instances wherein he wandered and lost sight of his destination. I pray that he faces his problems head on in Tokushima and develops further.”
His restoration complete, he returned to Osaka in 2012 and quickly re-established himself in the team, scoring 17 times in all competitions. With three months of the 2013 campaign remaining he has already surpassed that figure, scoring freely as Cerezo continue to challenge for an ACL place. His international credentials received further endorsement as he added five caps and three goals to his CV in an impressive start to his career with the senior Japanese side.
He scored three times in his first two games as Japan lifted the East Asian Cup in South Korea in July, and was part of a potent attacking triumvirate with Keisuke Honda and Kagawa in the recent Kirin Cup victory over Ghana.
His disciplinary record has improved dramatically. He has been cautioned only once in the last two seasons; between 2009 and 2011 he received seventeen yellow cards.
To observe Kakitani at the peak of his powers is to witness a footballer with almost effortless ability. He plays with rhythm and confidence, and a fluent, purposeful aggression, despite his relatively slight frame. He has mastered the art of controlling the ball and shifting it away from his opponent in the same movement, though his ice cool finishing is fast becoming his most notable attribute. His heading ability requires improvement and he can occasionally operate in the margins of the game, but on his day he is comprehensively brilliant in almost every aspect of forward play.
Unlike the European-based stars Kagawa and Honda, Kakitani is yet to be tested, let alone prove himself overseas against the best defenders in the world, though recent reports have linked him with some of the top clubs in Germany and the UK.
Barring injury or a complete collapse in form, he will almost certainly board the flight to Brazil next year. A player of immense talent, almost lost to Japan, once more has the world at his feet.
You can follow Chris on twitter @chriscoll10
Keep up to date with all the latest from TheInsideLeft by following us on Twitter @theinsidelefty or by joining us on Facebook at facebook.com/theinsideleft
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Delaneys Dunky
00:28 on 4 January, 2014
It behooves me to find out what that football club’s name is that plays at Ibrox. Not the criminal corporate money laundering front called Sevco but the football club they represent?
Engerland being tore a new one. Almost feeling sorry for them.
Getting into this cricket malarkey.
Commentators are on drugs by the way.
Having read Tommy Joad’s posts it’s obvious he’s in the know on the Japanese player market. I’d love to see another positive player from the land of the rising sun at our club. Naka was special and there must be a huge untapped talent there. Plus, having worked with Japanese in the past, I know they have the work ethic required to knock their pan in for the job, club, fight……………….cause.
I’ll stop there:_)
southside
I’m an Aficionado!
Well it might be something to do with a £5 bet on a whitewash @ 33/1.
:-)
South side….
Commentators sound pashed.
Batsmen are playing as if they are.
This could get really embarrassing for England.
Maggie McGill, apologies for not addressing you as “doll” but I’ve a serious question.
What’s with the wee bro. Is the H Bomb ok?
I texted him on New Years morning and got a short reply that concerned me. I hope he’s ok. He’s not been posting for a while. Please give him my best regards and tell him the drams are on him next time. Nah, just tell him I’m thinking about him.
Thanks
HH
tommy joad
00:30 on 4 January, 2014
The Exiled Tim, thanks and the same to your self.
Try and ignore the music and assess the brilliance of this guy.
Within our reach at the moment price wise, not so after WC
http://youtu.be/vPok10DrJAQ
TJ
______________
Hi – a few tap- ins, but in general looks to be very alive to any opportunities that present themselves, and adept at tucking them away. Is the You Tube video a fair representation of his general play?
Also, why do players in every other league in the whole World look light on their toes, floating across the playing surface, whereas players in Scotland look as if they are wearing lead boots ploughing through treacle??
Give us back some light football.
HH
BGFC
praecepta
00:39 on 4 January, 2014
Don’t know what the odds were, but I’d hazard a guess at your money being safe!
M McGill
Could they be the E laundry Inverclyde?