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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629 Comments

  1. Good morning all.

     

     

    Let’s hope the game is on.

     

     

    Ps we can and should always look to improve, we can be run better, there are still people hanging onto our coat tails for their own benefit.

     

     

    Have a good day all.

     

     

    D :)

  2. What a week bhoys the side and our blessed Brendan delivered making more history and the fans were exceptionally good also so now time to kick back and enjoy the weekend. 🍀

  3. Celtic should have taken the decision to cancel the game last night.

     

    They have stated its in doubt and by now many fans will have had to make a decision whether to travel on a precarious journey.

     

     

    The Coventry Emerald which was due to leave @ 06.00 hrs made the decision to cancel last night. They will get some money back, but not all..

     

     

    This is a safety issue and Celtic should have taken the decision putting their fans first.

     

     

    They should have cancelled last night and removed all ambiguity. This at least would have enabled hotel bookings to be cancelled.

     

     

    Imo, once again match attending fans have been treated disgracefully

     

     

    HH.

  4. I have just watched Brendan’s latest press conference for a second time and I must ask of those who doubt, or, dislike him, why is that the case.

     

     

    In the interview he was perfectly open and covered all the subjects and queries that we have as

     

    supporters.

     

     

    *He set the record straight on Kyoga and the desire he has had for some months to move on from Celtic.

     

    *He said that because Kyogo’s departure was a fait accompli, the recruitment people have been active for some months to identify a replacement.

     

     

    *He said that although Maeda can play the striker’s role and has proved successful in it, the preference is to bring another striker.

     

     

    *He said that the Jota transfer is almost complete and that he is looking forward to working with him.

     

     

    *He acknowledged the progress made in the CL and his determination to continue in future.

     

     

    *He talked of his younger days in management and how he is now a bit older and wiser.

     

     

    I don’t think I have witnessed a top manager being as open and honest when faced by the press.

     

     

    He filled me with confidence, I can’t speak for others. HH

  5. Greenpinata on 25th January 2025 7:04 am

     

    ———————————–/

     

    I fully understand the point you make, but surely this statement by Celtic is a reasonable one.

     

     

    Celtic say that “a full assessment and decision will be made as early as possible” on Saturday morning at Celtic Park, where the match is due to kick-off at 15:00 GMT.

     

     

    “Our stadium and safety staff are currently unable to fully assess the extent of the damage due to the ongoing extreme conditions,”

     

     

    “In light of this, and in order that we communicate fully and openly with our fans, in the interests of supporter safety, we are unable to confirm at this stage whether the match tomorrow between Celtic and Dundee will be able to proceed.”

     

     

    Would Dundee and the SPFL be happy if on inspection the damage was only superficial but the match had been called off prematurely? HH

  6. Darwin,

     

     

    We have had an unprecedented red weather warning. ( Government warning over our phones )

     

    We have had visible damage with debris falling onto our stands.

     

    We need a full daylight inspectuon with possible remedial work potentially requiring a Rope Access team.

     

    There are no trains running until midday as a minimum.

     

    Many fans have already left

     

    Many fans have already cancelled .

     

    Many fans are out of pocket with this indecision

     

    Many fans are currently pondering what to do.

     

     

    Dundee FC would have understood if the match had been called off in a timely manner due to safety concerns. ( Sure Dundee cancelled a game already this season due to weather issues )

     

     

    I just feel the indecision has left match attending supporters in a costly limbo.

     

     

    The ambiguity encourages fans to take the decision to watch games in the house or the pub.

     

    Only my opinion of course.

     

     

    Re Brendan, spot on.

     

     

    Honesty, truth and transparency is indeed welcome. I wish it was widespread.

     

     

    HH.

  7. PCS

     

    You said that “You may not agree with Paul67’s leaders but, imo, there is no need to attack him personally.

     

    However Paul wrote

     

    I hope we do not backfill with one of Brendan’s agent pals’ players.

     

    This is surely an attack on Brendan’s integrity.

     

     

    So Paul should expect criticism.

  8. IF….The Celtic game goes ahead Today…can anyone tell me WHY Celtic TV can’t/won’t show the game LIVE in the UK via PPV ?

     

     

    I can’t go to the game, and it is NOT available LIVE on SKY, PREMIER SPORTS, PRIME, CELTIC TV ( In the UK ).

     

     

    Scunnered….and I am also SCUNNERED by the sale of KYOGO at this time of the season. I AGREE with Chris Sutton who is baffled by the sale of Kyogo at this particular time ??????

     

     

    We have massive CL Game coming up v VILLA, and the ” CHANCE” to progress even further in CL by beating Villa, and then the CL Money Pot becomes EVEN MORE cash to Celtic ?

     

    Having KYOGO IN the Celtic Team would have given Celtic a better chance of WINNING against Villa and anyone else who we will play in the CL in the near future ?

     

     

    I understand IF Players are NOT Happy anymore, but surely the sale of Kyogo could have waited til the end of the season, or at least until we were knocked out of the Champions League FURTHER DOWN THE LINE ?

     

     

    BAFFLED and SADDENED.

     

    HH.

  9. Jimmy it is what is you’ll need to get firestick and download an app in order to watch Celtic TV I for the life of me don’t understand why the ability to view the match from for the guys like is way beyond me.

     

     

    With Kyogo he wanted to go and changed agent in the summer so farewell and thanks.

     

     

    The one thing I’ve learned is do nit fall in love with managers or players as they only go were they are offered more money.

     

     

     

    HH

  10. Aye Kyogo wanted to go. It’s not about timing. He stayed longer than he wanted to already by the sounds.

     

     

    KLV

  11. Hope everyone made it through safe after the wind yesterday

     

     

    ML6 is milder now just cold wind.

     

     

    KLV

  12. GREENPINATA on 25TH JANUARY 2025 7:51 AM

     

    ——-//

     

    Perhaps a ‘blanket-ban’ on outdoor sporting events in the Red Zone could have been an answer, but who would/could have issued it? HH

  13. B78,

     

     

    Sadly predictable — you protest too loud.

     

     

    P67 revels in any Celtic reverse as an opportunity to attack the manager.

     

     

    I don’t know any Celtic fan who has behaved that way to any Celtic manager ever.

     

     

    Plenty on here can see thru the pair of you with deflection tactics when called out.

     

     

    Couldn’t even leave a nice tribute to Kyogo alone , without his snidey comments.

     

     

    Will not comment again on it as you both know what you are doing. Huns will be loving it.

  14. Darwin,

     

     

    Your summary of the press conference was similar to mine.

     

     

    I would only add that personally I would have like the striker tied up already as the price will be hiked now ( we have known since the summer us tour).

     

     

    Brendan is a perfectionist and wants Celtic to be best they can be and I can imagine he may have similar views.

     

     

    However we also know it’s never that simple.

  15. Individual factors that contribute to trolling:

     

     

    Personality: There are many ways of understanding personality. In essence, personality traits are deeply ingrained patterns of thinking and behaving. One way to understand one particular aspect of personality is to focus on some of the darker sides of human nature, which researchers have called the dark tetrad: sadism, psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism. The dark tetrad has been found to be associated with trolling. Within the dark tetrad, sadism has been found to be the strongest predictor of trolling, which describes the tendency to derive pleasure or enjoyment from being cruel or demeaning to others. It is important to recognize that sadism in this sense occurs on a spectrum—people can have more or less sadistic tendencies.

  16. Individual factors that contribute to trolling:

     

     

    Conditioning: Not everyone finds demeaning people to be rewarding and reinforcing. But this is the experience of people with stronger sadistic tendencies. One framework to help understand trolling is what psychologists call operant and classical conditioning. Operant conditioning is the study of rewards and punishment to influence behavior. For some, this might dredge up images of rats or pigeons dancing for food pebbles. Basically, trolling behavior can feel rewarding in two ways: the pleasure experienced from getting a rise out of a target (positive reinforcement) and in some cases, the pleasure experienced by avoiding or distracting from aspects of life that are uncomfortable (negative reinforcement). Like a slot machine, randomly responding to trolling just strengthens the motivation for it to continue. Simultaneously, there are classical conditioning processes going on—reminiscent of a dog that salivates when you open the cupboard because they know they’re about to eat. A dog salivates because they’ve learned that the cupboard represents food. In the same way, people with sadistic tendencies that engage in trolling may salivate, so to speak, when they learn that their target represents the pleasure that they’ll experience when they troll.

  17. ALEX’S ANGLE: KYOGO CLAPTRAP

     

     

    By CQN Magazine on 25th January 2025 Personally Speaking

     

     

    KYOGO FURUHASHI’S imminent move to Rennes has yet to be sealed and already we are being suffocated under a deluge of drivel.

     

     

    So-called ‘in-the-know’ reporters are informing us the little striker is quitting the champions because he is looking for a new challenge and/or is hoping a shift to one of Europe’s top five leagues will boost his international ambitions.

     

     

    Please spare us this guff. There is only one reason a 30-year-old player is leaving Celtic and it’s that oft-used four-letter word pronounced cash. Or dosh, if you prefer.

     

     

    Everything else that is put forward as reasons for a fans’ favourite moving on after three and a half happy, enjoyable and successful years at the club is simply claptrap and an insult to intelligence.

     

     

    Kyogo is upping sticks from a team that will play in the Champions League play-offs next month with the opportunity of participating in the round of 16 knock-out stages in March to join a club currently struggling big style in France.

  18. Peter Grant’s ‘interesting’ reason for Kyogo wanting to leave Celtic

     

     

    Grant was asked about the move and when it was put to him that the Celtic talisman wanted to leave to progress his international career, the Hoops legend was having none of it.

     

     

    Grant told The Go Radio Football Show [9m 25s], “It’s finance. Let’s not kid ourselves. He’s going for the money.

     

     

    “He’s got a fantastic offer. There’s no doubt of that. And even Celtic, they’re thinking, well, I don’t know how long he’s got left. I’m surmising it’s gonna be 18 months. I’m surmising because that’s what they usually do. If it’s 18 months to go and get top dollar for them.

  19. theBHOYfromU.N.C.L.E on

    Will his ‘dodgy’ shoulder pass the medical scrutiny ?

     

     

    shouldersarewee CSC

  20. Troll 7.14

     

     

    I have just watched Brendan’s latest press conference for a second time and I must ask of those who doubt, or, dislike him, why is that the case.

     

     

    Paul67 doubts Brendan

     

    No one doubts Brendan ,usual divisive shoit.

     

    No one dislikes Brendan exc Paul 67 and Burnley78

     

    Made up oash

     

    Get the fence out yir ass troll

  21. Greenpinata

     

    Agreed the Donegal and Derry bhoys left at 4.30 this morning, unless it was confirmed either way yesterday evening a 10am decision is useless by that time they’re already in Cairnryan!

  22. Basically, trolling behavior can feel rewarding in two ways: the pleasure experienced from getting a rise out of a target (positive reinforcement) and in some cases, the pleasure experienced by avoiding or distracting from aspects of life that are uncomfortable (negative reinforcement). Like a slot machine, randomly responding to trolling just strengthens the motivation for it to continue.