Kyogo shaped hole in the squad

340

The script was written for Jota to come off the bench on his return after 18 months and score in a Celtic win.  His last kick of the ball for Celtic before departing was to put us 3-1 ahead of Inverness Caley Thistle in the Scottish Cup Final.

Adam Idah seems to have flicked a switch, returning to form from last term, while Daizen Maeda sparkled throughout, including when he played through the middle.

None of that moves the dial, however. If Celtic do not sign a striker today they are undeniably taking a risk with the second half of the season. There remains a Kyogo shaped hole in the squad. Over to you, Brendan, Michael.

Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

340 Comments

  1. No doubt some will tell us it’s BR’s fault we haven’t recruited a replacement for Kyogo.

     

     

    Hopefully the same people can explain why we needed to play Abada up front in Ange’s first season after Kyogo was injured.

     

     

    It’s almost like these problems pre-existed…

  2. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Sitting in a comfy chair sipping coffee, my perceptions of the window have evolved from where they were at 11:01pm last night.

     

     

    First off I had to get over the fright of hearing the window “slam shut”

     

    (copyright idiots everywhere. Yawn)

     

     

    I genuinely expected two players to arrive.

     

     

    I’m disappointed we didn’t get the second.

     

     

    Similarly though I was disappointed last week when my neighbour’s shed blew over … and knocked part of my fence down.

     

     

    I’ll get over both disappointments quickly enough.

     

     

    Where are we?

     

     

    Wee man is gone.

     

     

    And with almost zero tribute or fanfare.

     

     

    Which, I assume, worked for Celtic and Kyogo?

     

     

    Maybe Adam felt cold in his shadow and is now starting to warm up.

     

     

    People are funny. Time will tell.

     

     

    I have no intel but it looks like we went after both long term and short term options for a striker and didn’t get either.

     

     

    I’m moderately confident we can get by until May … but, clearly, securing a long term option in the summer is a must.

     

     

    Interesting too, for me anyway, that Brendan didn’t get any housekeeping done during this window.

     

     

    After a remarkable summer window, when lots of fringe players were moved on for great money, I expected Nawrocki to go out at the very least.

     

     

    Also, our stance on Cummings is interesting and strategic.

     

     

    We’re not going to roll over for an extra £250k. He is worth that just to have as an option for four months.

     

     

    BTW – Take note SPFL tribunal.

     

     

    £600k won’t get it done for a Scottish kid with almost no first team experience.

     

     

    Based on this and other recent transfer precedents, Kyle Lameron is a £1m pound player.

     

     

    Final yap from me for now.

     

     

    I suspect the expanded champions league format – with two games in January – is going to make the winter windows untidier, more complicated and more of a late scramble.

     

     

    Managers have less time for transfers.

     

     

    Games with jeopardy and genuine financial implications taking place into late Jan.

     

     

    Stick or twist just became a trickier question.

     

     

    All the more reason we need to be ready in the summer.

  3. I think there’s an assumption that because the CL is longer drawn out it makes it more difficult. We’re not in the business of buying from CL clubs.

  4. Somewhere over the RAINBOW ?…

     

     

    Welcome to Celtic JEFFREY…..Thanks for NOT bringing BUNGLE, GEORGE and ZIPPY with you.

     

     

    LOL.

     

     

    I know nothing about Jeffrey Schlupp….maybe he will fit right in and prove to be a very good signing ?

     

     

    Best of luck Jeffrey Bhoy.

     

     

    HH.

  5. It is not realistic to include Daniel Cummins and John Joe Kenny on our list of effective strikers. They have not played a full 20 minutes never mind 45 minutes for the first team. Idah and Maeda if played through the middle are our only centre forwards. We need at least 3. Most teams would have 4.

  6. glendalystonsils on

    Getting past Bayern is a step too far as things stand . A decent showing over the 2 legs would be satisfactory at this stage in the team’s development . A similar summer transfer window would be a different matter though , if it was followed by a failure to qualify for the CL.

     

    I hope this window was just a case of circumstances conspiring against us and not any other kind of conspiracy .

  7. AN DÚN…

     

     

    On the replacement for Kyogo it’s an interesting one, the two that we seemed to be in for was, Mathias Kvistgaarden, David Strelec.

     

     

    We really need to find solutions to problem positions as we did in the summer with our goalkeepers.

     

     

    There were fholk suggesting that Brendan Rodgers was playing games to put pressure on the Board.

     

     

    We Seen the opposite of that notion at Motherwell, where the manager started with Idah, then replaced him with a winger and put Meada in the central striker role.

     

     

    Both played very well I thought, if anything that diminished the pressure on the Board for a striker.

     

     

    We have Johnny Kenny who deserves his chance, and Daniel Cummings, if we want to keep him, we will have to use him, that’s a big if at the moment but needs to be put into the equation.

     

     

    If we could get a very good striker in that could make an impact at UCL level, then we should have pushed the boat out for that.

     

     

    With both Bronby and Slovan Bratislava digging their heels in, I’m not sure either of these players gave us value, but we’ll see.

     

     

    My feeling is that the four players I mentioned, Idah (I want to be the main man), Meada (a unique force of nature as a Japanese frontman), Johnny Kenny, who could well do the “Ralston” role in the squad as a striker, and Daniel Cummings, who if he does sign a contract extension deserves his chance.

     

     

    We would have needed to find someone special in the window, to move those players down the pecking order.

     

     

    And really, how much value was the want away Kyogo really giving us? A huge miss? For 10 mn, not really.

     

     

    The left back berth continues to be a mess but obviously Arsenal, who had accepted an offer from West Ham were digging their heels in and were in no mood to play ball with Celtic.

     

     

    Here’s what Brendan Rodgers last said on KT, maybe we will get clarification on the window if there is a pre-match presser today…

     

     

    “On any potential deal to bring Kieran Tierney in this month? Is that looking unlikely now? Has there been a change in circumstance there?

     

     

    Yeah, and I won’t speak anymore on it because Kieran, I said the other night, by the summer, will be a Celtic player and that’s it.

     

     

    If he’s here later in the month, you’ll know.

     

     

    Should we have pushed the boat out to get him? Mibees but this is not how the Celtic Board work, once Bayern was our opponents and progress in the UCL looked unlikely, they were always likely to leave KT to the summer.

     

     

    However, with Jeffrey Schlupp at left back and Greg Taylor and Liam Scales as back up, again not ideal but we do have a solution to the left back conundrum until KT gets here.

     

     

    Even then, my thoughts are Schlupp may well sign on a free in the summer and we get that experience and quality in.

     

     

    His flexibility means we can use him on the wing or midfield, like the meada role up front, it gives us options.

     

     

    Brendan Rodgers has always liked changing things around in that way with his subs – Ange was very much the like for like guy.

     

     

    As I say, it will be interesting to get his take – if the Board have screwed up as badly as some are suggesting, BR will let us know his feelings I’m sure.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  8. Maybe Big JEFF SCHLUPP will get some game time v Dundee tomorrow , or against Raith Rovers in the Cup Tie ?

     

     

    I hope that he becomes a HUN SKELPER in due course. Apparently JEFFREY is a Big Bhoy if so, I hope that he throws his weight about into opponents….including any Hun that comes along ?

     

    LOL.

     

     

    HH.

  9. The “lot of work going on in the background”, didn’t amount to much. A simple undisputed fact is that we have lost the best striker, since Larsson, and replaced him with nothing. Rodgers won’t stay beyond his current contract.

  10. BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL @ 7:42 AM,

     

     

    “Interesting too, for me anyway, that Brendan didn’t get any housekeeping done during this window.

     

     

    After a remarkable summer window, when lots of fringe players were moved on for great money, I expected Nawrocki to go out at the very least.

     

     

    This was the players that went out…

     

     

    DF Stephen Welsh – Loan

     

     

    DF Lenny Agbaire – Loan

     

     

    MF Odin Thiago Holm – Loan

     

     

    DF Alexandro Bernabei4 mn

     

     

    FW Kyogo 10 mn

     

     

    FW Luis Palma – Loan to buy

     

     

    That seems quite a nice bit of housekeeping to me, Rocki’s only option I’m aware of was a Loan to the English first division – maybe he turned that down.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  11. CHAIRBHOY – good morning and good post.

     

     

    The fly in the ointment, if there is one, will be raised by Paul at midday. Last night he was busy posting on X/Twitter accusing Brendan of having no plan to replace Kyogo.

     

     

    I quote:

     

    “Makes you think we ripped apart a recruitment system wrongly assuming we could employ equivalents. This is how it goes now.”

  12. Big Jimmy on 4th February 2025 8:14 am

     

    Somewhere over the RAINBOW ?…

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Welcome to Celtic JEFFREY…..Thanks for NOT bringing BUNGLE, GEORGE and ZIPPY with you.

     

     

    They’re already here, in the Board Room

  13. Maybe I am missing something here.Did we,or did we not just commit £5 million a year wages to KT,Jota,Schlupp?.Did we not break our transfer record on a striker,last window?.A striker that has not had a real chance at it because we had Kyogo.Now he goes,and the easily led,want another striker in,before giving our existing one a chance.A striker not one of them has seen play,but will pay£14 million for.Fekin madness.But Brendan wanted him.Yes,just like every manager wanted more in the window.Some got nothing.GT still here,and,cover brought in,and not just for his position

     

    Not Celtics fault,KT is not here,because a prick at Arsenal needs 4 or 5 LBs.He will be here for the qualifiers though.Fit and rarin.As will Jota.No improvement,my arse.Grow up,think for yourselves.Please stop talking pish about no replacement striker.We have,Idah,and another Maeda,we would struggle to get better and a 3rd,Kenny,and a 4th,Cummings.

     

    Feeble minded,blinkered,easily led,Celtic fans.Nothing now seems good enough.

  14. Chairboy

     

     

    Brendan may well dial things down and speak well of this transfer window. He may feel there’s little to be gained by going to war after the event.

     

     

    However, he was explicit last week. It was specifically put to him that Maeda was an option as back up striker and he said he wanted a striker in, this window.

     

     

    So we’ve failed in that regard. If we’re to hopefully improve our transfer dealings then it’s important to recognise failure and learn from it.

     

     

    The frustration is that we’re seemingly slow learners. Or possibly, closer to the point, we’re slow movers. Slow to open talks, slow to close out talks and slow to move on to other targets. Ange called out this tardiness and little seems to have changed.

  15. DENIABHOY @ 8:26 AM,

     

     

    Morning

     

     

    Cheers, well, I think we all know where Paul67 is coming from, he makes no attempt to hide it these days, no more dog whistles.

     

     

    The disappointing thing for me is the level of misrepresentation, same as BURNLEY78 and others.

     

     

    There was no magically recruitment system that was ripped apart.

     

     

    The “moneyball” approach was a myth, as we can clearly see now.

     

     

    The only time we have seen the feral moneyball approach to recruitment, was in the summer of ’23 (who was playing games then?) It was an unmitigated disaster and we are still having to manage the remnants.

     

     

    The idea that Kyogo 24/25 was Henrik Larsson is a complete nonsense – for good or ill he’d ran his Parkhead race.

     

     

    My feelings are Meada is the better option there, with Adam Idah given his chance as the main man.

     

     

    Jobo, in his POTY summary gives us a breakdown of the goals…

     

     

    *Goalscorers table*

     

     

    16 – Kuhn, Maeda

     

     

    12 – Kyogo

     

     

    11– Idah

     

     

    7 – Engels, Hatate, McGregor

     

     

    5 – McCowan

     

     

    4 – Johnston A

     

     

    3 – Bernardo, Scales

     

     

    1 – Carter-Vickers, Jota, Ralston, Taylor, Trusty, Yang

     

     

    2 Own Goals

     

     

    Total Goals – 99

     

     

    Now, you voukd argue we have lost a 12 goal striker that needs replaced.

     

     

    I’d argue, most of our goals come from the wings and midfield, with Kyogo not in the strikers position, we will have Idah or Meada there – we will see both players goal total increase before the summer.

     

     

    Paul67, is looking for cudgels to bang Brendan Rodgers over the head with – in actuality, thay are like wet string…

     

     

    Desperate stuff, from Desperate men

     

     

    Hail Hail

  16. So we signed great players in last January’s including Kuhn and Idah last year but only Jota this window, and some cover for Greg until KT gets back. If the right centre forward wasn’t available at the right price the sky isn’t going to fall in if we do our business in the Summer. I don’t get this expectation that the club has done well in the transfer market by scouting decent prospects early but somehow now that they have succeeded we should ditch that and pay top dollar. Plenty of multi million pound dross in the EPL. Nowhere do I see Brendan saying that the club didn’t support him, he simply says he would have preferred to get who he wanted but it didn’t happen. Calm down. Leave it to the professionals and get some clean bed linen.

  17. Turkeybhoy on 4th February 2025 8:40 am

     

     

    That is roughly how I see it…..though I might have worded it slightly more gently :-))))

  18. AN DÚN @ 8:41 AM,

     

     

    Yes, absolutely, he did say he wasn’t looking to replace Kyogo with Meada, and he stated quite clearly he wanted a striker in, so his take on that will be interesting.

     

     

    Though he did say, every time he’s played Meada through the middle he’s always scored goals.

     

     

    KT on Board and a quality striker would have made this a very good window, it would have given us a punchers chance at Celtic Park against Bayern, yet the fact remains going to Allianz Arena afterwards always seems a step too far.

     

     

    Though I’d agree with what people are saying, the meeting in Dublin, the work going on in the background, the KT story from the start of the month, the manager being unequivocal in wanting a striker.

     

     

    This all needs explaining.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  19. I’m not to disappointed regards new signings at this point of the season and especially how we are sitting at the moment 10 – 13 points clear . League cup in the cabinet , just the Scottish cup to go for , what we have is more than capable of making it another treble . But a low slow spend in the summer window would be a huge mistake ,especially as we may have qualifying rounds to take on . I did think a big CH beside CCV would have been considered but hopefully that position is a must have for the new season .. HH

  20. As disappointed as I am that we failed to get another striker in,maybe,they were priced too high.How many on here,including myself, thought we paid way over the top for Idah.He came back to us totally unfit and out of shape but thought he’s the main man,maybe he was told he was to be, who knows?

     

    He didn’t even look half the amount he cost,but he looks sharper now and more interested.

     

    If we were in any discussion with either of the two strikers spoken of, perhaps each of them wanted to be the main man and not part of a rotation, thus adding to the problem

  21. glendalystonsils on

    Brondby effectively chased us by asking silly money for Kvistgaarden . Strelec (assuming we were actually after him) possibly a less inflated fee but would he have added footballing value? If we are talking about a like for like replacement for Kyogo , then we are talking last season’s Kyogo, and the money then becomes eye watering . So we wait for the right player at the right price .

     

    The last thing we need is another Ajeti or Klimala coming and going through the revolving door .

  22. TEABHOY @ 9:08 AM,

     

     

    Yes, Brendan Rodgers said when Idah came in we didn’t have a number one striker.

     

     

    Yet the fact remains Adam couldn’t replace an underperforming Kyogo.

     

     

    Maybe he was told or thought…

     

     

    …if you step up to be the main man, we don’t need to replace Kyogo.

     

     

    Getting Jota in could have been a factor too, his salary won’t be cheap and he’ll be making any striker we have so much better – his goals and assists could be the difference.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  23. An Dun

     

     

    I appreciate that 24 years of Celtic domestic dominance must be hard to cope with for you but you may recall we had a massive shake up after losing our first league in 10 seasons. A new manager and a complete clear out of the squad. We did sign decent replacements straight away but the contracts for 3 of the players were far from ideally negotiated by the new CEO at the time. They included fairly low bar onward transfer mechanisms which were enacted by both JJ and GG. We did however sign another Japanese striker Maeda in the window. plus Abada had played that role. I recall we did win the league and have done for 4 in a row generating further strong revenue also.

     

     

    Currently we are in a positon of financial dominance and have the resource to plan properly. We had a structure which produced the 5 mentioned in January windows in a timely manner. We totally failed to strengthen this window. It remains to be seen if the returning players can live up to their previous very high billing and those they are replacing were / are contributors for sure.

  24. Weren’t we told that Brendan is in control of transfers now? It looks like some people want it all ways, all the power, all the credit none of the responsibility, none of the criticism. Nice work if you can get it.

     

     

    It’s been quicker than expected, but here we are again

     

     

    Best paid Celtic manager in history, in two windows we’ve broken our transfer fee record twice, spent 6m and 8m on individual players, resigned two of our best players of recent times both on big wages I’d imagine. Three of our four record fees in two transfer windows – £28m on three players. Record wage bill. Control over transfers, a direct line to the owner. Everything he’s wanted. More money than before, more control than before.

     

     

    But it would seem it’s not enough, nowhere near. A brief look at the internet shows a fan base more angry with the board than ever. A manager threatening to leave if he isn’t made happy. Which he never will be.

     

     

    It’s a pretty ludicrous situation but you cant say nobody predicted it.

  25. Bayern Munich are a wee bit weaker after the transfer window with Tel going to Spurs.

     

    Keep Kane on a tight leash and we might have a night to remember. From what I can remember, he was mince at the Euros yet seems to score for fun at Bayern.

  26. I’ve no doubt that Brendan now signs off on every player – the summer of 23 must never be repeated.

     

     

    However, the idea that Brendan does the negotiating and signs off on transfer fees and salaries is risible nonsense.

  27. glendalystonsils on

    clunks on 4th February 2025 9:37 am

     

     

    I had this dream ….. I was sleeping on a water bed and it burst ………

  28. onenightinlisbon on

    Shysters in suits stick two fingers up to the fans again.

     

     

    But hey big Peter has nothing to do with it and is a real Celtic man……shameful.

  29. I was hoping for a LB, CDM and CF in that order last night. Seems like we may have got a single player who could in the short term cover all 3 (the 3rd in an emergency only).

     

     

    Would have loved to see KT back but it is just possible that reports he would walk away from 6 months wages and a loyalty payment at the end of his contract were unfounded and that perhaps all parties are just happy to re-unite in the summer. He is taking a big financial hit to come back, I can’t begrudge him milking the cash cow whilst he can.

     

     

    KT and Kvistgaarden would not change the needle for Bayern and barring disaster, our domestic season should end well either way,

     

     

    bheaver on 4th February 2025 8:14 am

     

    “It is not realistic to include Daniel Cummins and John Joe Kenny on our list of effective strikers. They have not played a full 20 minutes never mind 45 minutes for the first team. Idah and Maeda if played through the middle are our only centre forwards. We need at least 3. Most teams would have 4.”

     

     

    Yet had we signed Kvistgaarden for £13M he would be on our list? Why – because he has a bling price tag? The truth is we don’t know if either would be an “effective striker” for us until we try.

     

     

    He is having a good year this year – but looking at this history I am not convinced he is much better than Kenny could be for us. Other than a cameo in a CL qualifier and another small cameo in the Europa League, his European experience is Conference League not even as good as Kenny’s record there; albeit Brondy got put out in the qualifiers and didn’t make the groups so I’m comparing his record in previous years rather than this season which is somewhat of an outlier for him.

     

     

    In the same way some could argue Scales is better value than Trusty and there is not a huge gap between them might Kenny prove to be better value than Kvistgaarden? I’d keen to find out, assuming we don’t keep playing Maeda 2nd to Idah. It would take a run of games to find out – but there were a few promising signs against Ross County and I saw two of his Conference League games this season and I think he deserves a chance and training with and playing in a stronger team should make him even better.

     

     

    With Brondy also missing out on group stage football this season perhaps they might be easier to deal with, if needed, in 6 months if no major interest from other clubs arises. I have no knowledge of their financials but for all I know they are doing a Sevco and way overvaluing what they have out of necessity and after all a player is only worth what someone is willing to pay and if the player wants to leave (reported to be on £4K and keen to move) then their hand may be forced soon enough one way or the other.

  30. spikeysauldman on

    B78

     

     

    if the returning player, who will add thousands to the midweek games gate, even as a sub, chops off one of his legs he will still be better than most of the projects/low cost/players with potential that we have signed over the years (under all managers/ceos/jannies/recruitment heads/chairman)

  31. The Battered Bunnet on

    We awake to that Kyogo sized hole remaining unfilled.

     

     

    Realistically, with the firepower we have in Kuhn, Idah, Maeda and Jota, we oughtn’t have great difficulty in seeing out the remaining 14 matches in the league given we have an effective 11 points lead with a match in hand.

     

     

    Equally, Kyogo may have played second fiddle to Idah in the Bayern tie given Idah is stronger with his back to goal, a key function in our emerging European shape. Realistically, with or without Kyogo, heck with or without Idah, we’re very long odds to prevail over the two matches versus Bayern. A back up striker wouldn’t shift them.

     

     

    The issue is that Kyogo and his ilk have the ability – as if by magic – to pop the ball in the net from nothing at all in an otherwise tight match, the kind of talent that wins a cup final; cf Idah last season. And an injury to Idah leaves us without a blooded centre forward. We’ll be making do and mending with the youngsters (one of whom is likely for the off) or Maeda or sumdae else at point.

     

     

    Entirely not ideal.

     

     

    HeyHoCSC

  32. Quadbhoy.

     

    We have been scouting Kvistgaarden for 2 years so we probably rate him. i’m not saying he is the answer but someone at celtic rates him.

  33. bournesouprecipe on

    Window Four

     

     

    A minimum of £80M bank balance after a good Summer window 3 where things looked up in quality

     

     

    Kerching!!!!!! Won the League Cup

     

     

    Opened a points gap in the SPL (treble still on)

     

     

    Flopped at the Bigot Dome

     

     

    Make good progress and go to a glamour play off in CL

     

     

    Kerching!!!!! Collect prize money and ticket sales of £40M minimum for the Champions League

     

     

    Daizen Maeda has always played striker for Japan (alarm bell rings)

     

     

    Johnny Kenny recalled from loan now CL back up striker (alarm bell rings)

     

     

    Move on Alex Bernabei, Alex Valle, Stephen Welsh, Odin Holm, Luis Palma

     

     

    Bring Kieran Tierney back home from London in June (like Frank McAvennie before)

     

     

    Trade No1 Talisman player Kyogo for Jota (we traded Di Canio for Reggie Blinker)

     

     

    Kerching!!!!! another financial profit in the transfer window from outgoings and incomings

     

     

     

    Brendan Rodgers assumes the mantra of Martin O’Neill (and others) “ we tried but it’s always difficult, it was hard to get anyone over the line “

     

     

    “ But we’ll always look to improve our squad, very happy to go with the players we’ve got in.”

     

     

    Talismanic Kyogo shaped hole – Paul67

     

     

    FWIW Incredible, if you know your No:1 striker wanted to leave last August and you manage to talk him round, you then sell him at the very close of the window in January, with no apparent guaranteed replacement, you’re gonna reap what you sow. What ‘top strategist’ at the club thought that while it was good business sense to sell, it wasn’t bad business sense not to have a nailed on replacement.

     

     

    Celtic fans could be forgiven for thinking that there was absolutely no intention to replace Kyogo in this window, (maybe not even the next) almost as predictable at Celtic, as it is unbelievable in professional football not so much as a Brendan ‘backfill striker’ or a temporary loan, just a real ‘systemic failure’

     

     

    “ We can’t afford to be complacent “ – Michael Nicholson CEO

     

     

    Ahem excuse me CSC

Leave A Reply