Kyogo, icon who made Scotland a better place

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This impact Kyogo made on Celtic is difficult to overestimate.  He cost three times more than any of our other recent players from Japan and established his credentials a week after touching down in Scotland.  In August 2021, Celtic were trophyless and at their lowest point this century.

Kyogo was the spark that ignited the club.  His perpetual motion, enthusiasm, selflessness and his goals, mostly his goals, gave us cause to hope for the future.  He also gave us 8 out of 10 trophies contested during his time in Glasgow.

His first virtuoso performance delivered a hattrick against Dundee.  We thought we were onto something special, but dare not dream of the levels he delivered.  Kyogo enjoys a big game and took special delight in scoring against Newco.  Including an incredible seven goals in 2023.  He terrorised them at Celtic Park, Hampden and Ibrox.

With him on the field, you could be playing badly, but knew something special could happen at any moment.  His hattrick of disallowed goals against Young Boys on Wednesday apparently bookends his time as an active Celtic icon.  His inactive icon status will last decades, though.

Without doubt, he is the best since Henrik Larsson – the only appropriate reference point.  We waited 20 years between the departure of Kenny Dalglish and Larsson’s arrival.  The 17 years between Henrik and Kyogo were filled with some great Celtic strikers, but none possessed the sheer magic of Kyogo.

It wasn’t just his play.  The man picked up litter, comforted injured opponents and wherever he went, made Scotland a better place.  I cannot see someone throw litter away without contrasting them to our hero.  He was an example of how to work hard and live your life.  And there was that smile.

I have been preaching Asset Management here for decades.  ‘Manage your assets or fail to manage your assets’.  Fans like you and I have sporting heroes, but Michael Nicholson’s job (as well as being a fan) is to manage our assets.  A reported fee of £10m for a player who turned 30 this month and had a significantly less effective 2024 than 2023 is Tier One asset management.

I only hope we do not backfill with one of Brendan’s agent pals’ players, or someone he watched a while back but is now out of favour in the English Championship.

Best of luck to Kyogo in France.  Despite his horrendous performance last night Jack Butland will be a happy man today.

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  1. GlassTwoThirdsFull on

    No need to worry, Paul – I’m sure all positions at Celtic go to the absolute best person for the job…..

  2. Seems like many on here are happy to see us sign a bunch of old pros at high cost and let our rivals out a proper trading strategy in place like what we did for the past 20 years.

     

     

    Maybe years of domination is boring folks.

     

     

    Still we have David Pleat in on the recruitment team and that was not a joke.

  3. BR is on the record as saying that he likes goals spread across the team, multiple threats from various positions, so I doubt we will buy a 30 goal a season striker, more likely someone who can contribute to the teams ability to score goals, he will have looked at the options at the club, wait and see who we go for, thank you Kyogo I loved your contribution to our success. All the best to you in your career and life.

  4. Fair well Kyogo, a great player for us.

     

     

    The best since Larsson ? I’d probably go for French Eddie.

     

     

    Kyogo went missing in games too often for me and missed more than his fair share of absolute sitters.

     

     

    Hope that doesn’t sound harsh, he was a great player, I wish him well.

     

     

    As for the backfill, why don’t we use Mark Lawwell ? He’s bound to have some great contacts now that he’s since moved onto to Bayern Munich or was it PSG ? P67 tipped the man to move on to big things so he must be at one of those top clubs, as opposed to gardening ? Right ?

  5. The most important player in any team is your striker , everyone else can play out their socks but if your main striker doesn’t score it means nothing.

     

     

    To me this is nothing short of Celtic Board arrogance …. Look we’ve got the balls to do this

     

     

    Absolutely disgusted .

     

     

    Just watched the showreel of all Kyoto’s goals …we’ve lost a bit of magic, an inspiration …can’t buy that and it didn’t need to happen in this window ….words fail me

  6. bournesouprecipe on

    “ and let our rivals out a proper trading strategy in place “

     

     

    Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha 🤡

  7. the long wait is over on

    Fritz song

     

     

    So, that begs the question: why are we letting him go?

     

    ——-

     

     

    Isn’t the answer simply that he wants to go?

     

     

    It isn’t a bond of slavery (any more) at a club.

     

     

    It’s not as if we’ve transfer listed him. If he wants to go we really can’t stop him.

     

     

    For me , the question is more “why does he want to go?”

     

     

    I suspect we may never know but most likely, Imho, he thinks it gives him a better chance of making the Japanese national team to be playing in a league which is (at least perceived to be) a higher standard than

     

    here.

  8. If the ill wind in Glasgow blew CQN away today, you’d have an easier life Paul. Not having to suffer the ingrates who bite your hand off every day when you feed them would allow you a greater enjoyment of Celtic. Thanks for all your time and this great community.

     

     

    T

  9. A great tribute totally spoiled by a ridiculous attack on the manager!!!!….dear God it’s like mistakes were never made before Rodgers there is a list as Long as my arm spent on duds !!!!

     

    Give it a rest I don’t believe you are that sort of person!

  10. Paul67 give it a rest. The only reason this site continues to exist is because of the core of posters who are decent, insightful posters. You are driving them away.

  11. If indeed Kyogo wanted to leave and the Rennes deal was right for him, it would also have had to be right for the French club. Rennes are in trouble and need a striker now therefore would probably have looked elsewhere if we had held on to Kyogo.

     

     

    It takes two to tango and if he was set on leaving I think we have ‘asset managed’ very well, as Paul states.

     

     

    I am perplexed at Paul’s obvious dislike of Brendan, it may always have been there under the surface, however it is now overt and often repeated. Why would a Celtic supporter hold such a successful manager in such low regard?

  12. VINNIETHEDOG @ 1:08 PM,

     

     

    Surely that would depend on how long your arm is!?

     

     

    You like lists;)

     

     

    Mohamed Bangura

     

    Andre Blackman

     

    Radius Ibrahim

     

    Lassad Nouioui

     

    Amido Balde

     

    Steven Mouyokolo

     

    Derk Boerigtor

     

    Holmbert Fridjosson

     

    Jo Ings Berget

     

    Stephan Sepovic

     

    Sandy Janko

     

    Login Bailey

     

    Nadir Cifci

     

    Scott Allen

     

    Micheal Duffy

     

    Darned Fisher

     

    Eboue Kouassi

     

    Kundai Benyu

     

    Morgan

     

    Daniel Arzani

     

    Issof Bayo

     

    Marian She’d

     

    Manny Perez

     

    Ismalia Soro

     

    Luca Connell

     

    Liam Shaw

     

    Osaze Urhoghide

     

    Alexander Bernabei

     

    Sead Haksabanovic

     

    Mario Tilio

     

    Kwon

     

     

    That’s the abridged “moneyball only” version…

     

     

    Hail Hail

  13. onenightinlisbon on

    Best wishes to Kyogo. Played football the Celtic way and never complained or moaned (unlike me).

     

     

    The manager spoke of the player wanting to leave for some time and in a case like that the best thing to do is to let him have his wish.

     

     

    Not sure that all his future dreams will be fulfilled at Rennes but I wish hime every success in his new venture.

     

     

    Never a good time to lose a striker but as I stated last night Daizen can easily play the number 9 as he does for his country and with the firepower on both sides, who is to see he wouldn’t be fantastic?

  14. An eloquent ode to a new Celtic cult hero, at least until the predictable – unnecessary – barb at Brendan.

     

    Your cuckold-like disrespect of BR is near pathological; contrary to the evidence of all he has achieved for us.

     

    The saying goes that carrying resentment is like swallowing poison and expecting somebody else to get ill.

     

     

    Let it go P67, and just love how well we’re doing as a club on the field (thanks BR & crew) and off-field (the suits).

     

    Kyogo san; yer a phenomenon !

     

     

    HH

  15. I sort of admire P67’s confidence when it comes to opining on recruitment.

     

     

    If I’d tipped Kwon to be a player and publicly tipped Mark Lawwell to move to a top European club after Celtic, I’d probably want to stay clear of discussing recruitment.

     

     

    Sure it’s a bit of craic.

  16. glendalystonsils on

    There’s no point in backfilling if you’re only going to backfill half the hole .

     

     

    Oo-er Matron !

  17. BOURNESOUPRECIPE @ 1:25 PM,

     

     

    Yes, we certainly did…

     

     

    Made a pigs ear of that as well…

     

     

    Apparently developing players is not for everyone!?

     

     

    Who knew!?

     

     

    Hail Hail

  18. PRESTONPANS BHOYS on 24TH JANUARY 2025 12:18 PM

     

    !!Bada Bing!! on 24th January 2025 12:12 pm

     

     

    You saved me typing that 👏👏

     

    —————

     

    And you saved me typing that kind of. 😂👍

     

    Shocking from the host. 🤦‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️💩

  19. Now that KYOGO has left….WHO is gonna be the player that heads the Ball out of our Penalty area whenever the opposition take corner kicks ?

     

    The wee Man did that Job quite often.

     

     

    HH.

  20. spikeysauldman on

    b78

     

     

    “Seems like many on here are happy to see us sign a bunch of old pros at high cost”

     

     

    any examples ?

     

     

    the attitudes towards BR on here are a total disgrace.

     

     

    The host is now a parody of himself. A twisted and bitter lap-dog.

  21. I’m firmly in the Daizen for centre forward camp too, with Adam as back up & a n other for no 3 striker. I may be talking guff but I believe that’s Brendans plan, we’ll see. Kuhn Maeda & Jota even sitting on the halfway line will scare most defences, with their pace, skill & in Daizens case, a real knack for arriving in the box at the right moment, he’s also far more robust than Kyogo & just as fast.

     

    TimewilltellCSC

  22. I have been advised that the SHIPWRECK CREW are meeting up next Friday ( 31st JANUARY ) in the SHIPBANK PUB ?

     

     

    Is that CORRECT ?

     

     

    HH.

  23. Could a personal attack on Marshall Mathers be described as an ad homineminem attack ?

     

     

    Nigh tall !

  24. AN DÚN on 24TH JANUARY 2025 1:17 PM

     

    I sort of admire P67’s confidence when it comes to opining on recruitment.

     

     

    If I’d tipped Kwon to be a player and publicly tipped Mark Lawwell to move to a top European club after Celtic, I’d probably want to stay clear of discussing recruitment.

     

     

    Sure it’s a bit of craic.

     

    —————

     

    😂😂😂👍

  25. Why is Kyogo’s transfer and the timing, so difficult to understand for some?

     

    It really is this simple.

     

    Kyogo made a transfer request months ago. He didn’t want to be here anymore.

     

    Making the best out of bad situation is the right thing to do.

  26. BIG JIMMY

     

     

    The Shipwrecks normally meet up on the last Friday of the month (31st Jan).

     

    I’m sure BRRB mentioned the date, failing that, I’ll meet you for a pint a week today.🍻👍

  27. Some won’t be happy until,a compliant Lennon is in the dugout, Lawwell and Hardy in charge of recruitment, and their hero in the big chair, stroking a white cat.

  28. garygillespieshamstring on

    Big Jimmy

     

     

    I think BRRB posted that there was a shipbank meeting on the 31st at the same time as he posted about the proposed Jim Kennedy tribute on the 30th.

  29. Didn’t take long for the euphoria of qualifying for the next round in CL to fade with our host.

     

     

    Can’t believe the timing of that dig at BR and at the end of a cracking article about Kyogo as well.

     

     

    Of If I wanted to read digs about our massively successful manager, I’d go onto a hun forum.

     

     

    Done reading it on here and maybe look for an alternative site tbh.

     

     

    Poor show.

  30. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    Genuine question – how many players have we signed via the manager’s agent?

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