Japan talent seam

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I saw “Japan first country to qualify for 2026 Word Cup” and quickly clicked on the line-up for their win against Bahrain.  Neither Daizen Maeda nor Reo Hatate made it off the bench.

Japan top their group with 19 points, Australia are second, nine points adrift.  Reo and Daizen did not get into the team because Japan have an ever-expanding talent pool of excellent players to choose from.

Celtic used links to City Football Group to align with the Japanese market in 2021.  Ange Postecoglou, Koygo, Daizen and Reo came and transformed the club.  The years since would be unrecognisable without this influence from Japan.  Despite this, Japan is no longer on our radar; Korea has also slipped from our scope.

We had First Mover Advantage in 2021.  The value available may not be exactly the same as then, but it feels like we have walked away from the richest seam of talent we have seen pull on Celtic shirts in decades.

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474 Comments

  1. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Good morning CQN.

     

     

    Just a week to go now.

     

    (I think I’m going to make it)

     

     

    I counted three of Clunk’s songs posted last night on my playlist.

     

     

    Enjoyed the Lisbon references earlier.

     

     

    We’ll forever be connected to that city.

     

     

    Stuff of dreams.

     

     

    I think someone mentioned recently the Estadio Nacional was to be redeveloped?

     

     

    That would be a shame, IMHO.

  2. The hand of God on

    BADABING, Hf you have time Sintra is well worth a visit , 40 minutes trying journey from Rossio station at the bottom of the Avenida.Cascais is also wort visiting from the Cais do Sodrè station,same line as Belem

  3. THE HAND IG GOD

     

    I am technically from Lambhill but known as Milton. I lived directly in front of St Augustines school playing field in Ashgill Road.What a great place to grow up with all those facilities including 4 football pitches, running tracks, rugby pitch, hockey pitch and games hall as well as the gyms and swimming pool.

     

    I have also been in Bishopbriggs for about 36 years. Having a dog is the quickest (legal) way to get known but there were so many old Augustinians that it felt like home but there was the bowling club types who were less welcoming.

     

    Name is JimBrannan

  4. The hand of God on

    HRVATSKI JIM, spent my youth on those pitches particularly the hockey pitch ones as the goals were more suited to the standard of goalkeeping on show plus as the years went on the numbers dwindled so the size of pitch was more appropriate. David Kelly but destroy this post in the name of anonymity.

  5. Where has the ‘he has an educated left foot’ cliché in football go ? I think Chris Waddle had one.

  6. The hockey pitch or the small primary pitch were ideal especially until we grew up enough to play at full pitch level.

     

    I’m on grandson taxiing duty so singing off now.

  7. The hand of God on

    Pastel de Nata tiled cafe in Belem along from the Monastery is a must,Pastèis de Belèm on the main street,R.de Belèm I think its called.You’ll love it BADABING

  8. Majestic Hartson on

    I’m currently on a work’s trip to Mauritius. Staying in a top notch hotel – Lux Grande Baie – having a beer and watching my daughter at a swimming competition in EK via YouTube.

     

     

    Tremendous 👍🏻

  9. Majestic Hartson on

    Quad,

     

     

    I always enjoy your posts and thought you had a good rate of being responded to.

     

     

    You know what it can be like though – you think a post is good and then read the rest of the thread and there can be another one a few after…

     

     

    Or sometimes people only have time to make a comment without getting involved in others or replying to a response.

     

     

    Anyway, keep posting 👍🏻

  10. MH – ta.

     

     

    I know the reality is that not everyone sees all comments and they’re so quickly supplanted by new stuff.

     

    Some days you just feel like a bot of back n forth on a topic that’s buzzing round in yer own head.

     

    Expectation management is the key for me.

     

    I appreciate your engagement this time and on other topics raised.

  11. Especially at this time when we saw those scuzz buckets fergushun, mcann and dodds lording it at CP – f me!

  12. Majestic Hartson on 22nd March 2025 12:11 pm

     

     

    I’m currently on a work’s trip to Mauritius. Staying in a top notch hotel – Lux Grande Baie

     

     

    ————-

     

     

    i got married on mauritius, 1997

  13. I don’t post much at all now, but I do look in most days.

     

     

    I also pop into the Shipbank now and again, on shipwreck days, where intelligent conversation is in abundance and the jokes are sidesplitting.

     

     

    The company is amazing and the buffet is also delicious!

     

     

    (OK, the sideplittin’ bit is a bit of a stretch!)

     

     

    But the rest is true!

     

     

    Love you ghuys!

  14. garygillespieshamstring on

    Re John Thomson

     

     

    There is an excellent book titled “My Search for Celtic’s John” by a man called Tom Greig that goes into a lot of detail about the life of John Thomson and also describes what happened to his fiancée and her family background.

     

     

     

    A very interesting read imo.

  15. Majestic Hartson on

    THE HAND OF GOD on 22ND MARCH 2025 12:31 PM

     

    Mauritius, is that near Hamilton ?

     

     

    No, but it’s very similar to the beach at the Hamilton end of Strathclyde park.

  16. Majestic Hartson on

    St Stivs,

     

     

    Magic. Where did you get married?

     

     

    It’s a beautiful island, with some amazing beaches.

     

     

    I never really had myself down as a beach holiday type of person but i think i might be changing my mind a bit.

  17. Majestic Hartson on

    Long shot maybe – but i have 3 tickets for Spiritualized for tonight if anyone fancies any number of them.

     

     

    Happy just for someone to use them

  18. bigrailroadblues on 22nd March 2025 1:42 pm

     

    Good afternoon all from ma hoose.

     

     

    have you been kettled j