It is difficult to explain to a modern audience just how highly Brian Laudrup was regarded throughout Scotland in the 90s. He was brilliant, a nice guy, and spent four years at Rangers after playing for Bayern Munich, Fiorentina and Milan, and winning the European Championships with Denmark.
I remember my Dad reading a Sunday newspaper in 1999 and saying, “It says here Henrik Larsson is more productive than Brian Laudrup”, the latter having left for Chelsea a year earlier. We were both surprised at this claim appearing in print, as we knew many would regard this as a heresy. Larsson had been at Celtic for two years and won a couple of trophies. Everyone knew he was special, but we were mostly reluctant to make claims that were too onerous.
Larsson was 28 years old and, unlike Laudrup’s illustrious past, his most prominent role before coming to Glasgow was as perennial substitute at Feyenoord. At face value, the comparison seemed absurd. He was 30 when he played his first Champions League match. He had no heritage in the game to speak of, beyond a 1994 World Cup campaign with Sweden, but soon favourable comparisons to the brilliant Laudrup were an accepted fact.
Like Henrik in 1999, two years into his Celtic career, Kyogo is 28 years old. His achievements since arriving in 2021 dwarf over Henrik’s at the same stage. Like Laudrup and Larsson, he is a nice guy, a brilliant footballer and the most cherished player in our game of his era.
Comparisons with great players of the past always sound like a heresy until they become an accepted fact. Yesterday, we extended the contract of a great Celtic player – the only one this century who at this stage is even remotely comparable to Henrik. Keep him fit, make him happy, and watch the heresy slip away. He is that good.
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Boom
Where’s everyone
Kyogo has a fair way to go before comparison with Henke
Looking up the word heresy
What with signing Marco Tillio and Hyun-jun Yang. to add to Abada, Maeda, Forrest, Johnston, Haksabanovic and Vata, shouldn’t Brendan be telling Micheal Nicholson “We’ve got a million winners, we don’t need another one”? 😃
kyogo’s touch: goal ratio must be much better than henrik’s
A partnership with a Saudi anything ………….
down with this sort of thing
Freezing now 32 degrees but plenty of Celtic tops about.
Lovely jubbly
D :)
Watching Kyogo last season was every bit as interesting as Henrik in his first seasons. He could well live up to the kings achievements if he stays the four years. Emperor Kyogo.
Needs a big ECL season to be spoken about in Henke terms. He was poor last season by his own high standards.
Hope he puts that right.
HH
New arrival outside the Pearly Gates meets St Peter, who is watching a game of football
New arrival “ Who is that wearing the Number 7 “
St Peter “ Ach that’s God …..……… he thinks he’s Larsson “
Oldies CSC
Good to see him signing so soon after Ange leaving
as Ange pointed out they are all different people but it could be a good sign that our a Japanese players are happy just to be at a Celtic
SFTB,
Abada, Forrest & Johnston won’t be around next season after the window shuts.
Haksa & Maeda don’t feel like Rodgers wingers. One’s too slow (more a number 10), the other is poor technically.
Vata should go on loan & get game time.
I’d expect better wingers, especially one to fill that large Jota-sized shirt, like a Tete or Borges….
HH
Celtic smash CL earnings record
Celtic smash ‘treble’ record
Celtic smash Scottish transfer sale record
Celtic smash Australian transfer fee record
Celtic smash Scottish football season ticket record
Celtic smash sell on clause fee record
Celtic smash highest paid manager record
Celtic smash Scottish transfer buy record?
( next )
As ever csc
He is a nice guy.
He is also a productive guy
We should do well to remember his numbers.
He was going through a perceived bad patch last season (pre Christmas) which lasted all of eight weeks.
Bizarrely there were moans about him on here.
“Not as good as last season”
“defenders have figured him out”
Sna’ aff a dyke foolishness. CO².
Just as important – the man is infectious.
Makes you feel good as a spectator.
And that resonates through the stadium.
That quality comes from the heart and the soul.
Cannot be manufactured, replicated or feigned.
IMHO, Kyogo is not the MVP in our current squad …
… but he is certainly my favourite player
Big Wavy,
If Maeda and Abada are our starters (transfer window moves notwithstanding) I would place Rocco Vata as the third choice winger. He is good enough to challenge and surpass both Mikey J and Forrest and I would have Haksa compete with Matt O’ Riley for the creative number 10 slot.
Here’s a telling tale about the difficulties of being a trading Club in a predatory world.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66031532
Heresy I would say,
Kyogo is good, but he is not Henrik good,
Looking back in the mist of time, I recall the signing of Henrik as being underwhelming too many, a low cost punt, 650k on a player that was on the bench at Feyenoord, his August bedding in period, that pass at hibs to charnley, a defeat to dunfermline at home, another own goal against Tirol in a weidr 6-3 win with henrik scoring NONE.
BUT BUT BUT, he was a Swedish International, had scored in a world cup, and stopping the ten became such a focus as lets be honest a LAUDRUPLESS huns team imploded.
He got better and better as the season went on, I was up at Perth with the Great Uncle Paddy in attendance when he scored that diving header, and Pat said he is something special you wait and see , he will come good.
Pat gave me a Kearney CSC baseball cap that day, I wear it still, I had it on at the cup final.
https://www.facebook.com/spflofficial/videos/henrik-larsson-v-st-johnstone/2147207288940959/
I think also scoirng in the League Cup final bought him time, that seems ridiculaous to say but many were not convinced,
Back to Henrik, I also recall us signing Harold for 2m and a serious debate in our car about probably henrik or blinker will drop out cos harold is a goalscorer.
To put thing s into perspective about that season even though e won the leage we only won 22 games, that is right we dropped points in 12 matches, we also only scored 64 goals in the leage, Henrik top scorer with 16, think of that compared to our 114 we enjoyed under ange.
We won the league with 74 points ………… dearie me.
Stumbling over the line , in the run in a goalless draw at home to hibs, that draw at dunfermline, we were really holding out for a hero in that final saint johnstone game
world class
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd8-oZAmkaE
I agree ss but there’s elements of greatness about KF
We’re lucky to have Kyogo; a very special talent and valuable moneyball asset too.
Trusting the Celtic analytics contraption is canvassing players who can even better feed the wee man’s predatory instincts. HH
——–
As a supporter of our very successful football club bankrolled in part by betting, booze and high-margin fan merch interests located in a kingdom build on colonialism and run by egotists, liars, investment bankers and oiled by ill-gotten laundered monies, I need to watch out for the ‘feelgood’ of cultural imperialism.
More, living nicely in Oz where indigenous and refugee policies are lauded by r/w dictators and scandalised by other more empathetic states, what right have I to get too supercilious about oil-revenued Riyal??
A good read from the reliably good Al Jazeera:
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/11/28/the-massive-hypocrisy-of-the-wests-world-cup-concerns
Plus a book about the UK’s cosy deals with GCC petro-states:
https://www.wiley.com/en-au/AngloArabia%3A+Why+Gulf+Wealth+Matters+to+Britain-p-9781509532032
HH
Henriks 2nd season – 38 total goals , added to 19 in first season. 57 in 94 games.
He became a hunskelper, with the brilliant Lubos assistance, and we still didnt win the league against the EBT cheats.
Kyogo 54 goals in 83 games, and a regular hunskelper , and a cup final specialist
I will give Kyogo an on track rating to match our henke. he just needs to do it in europe now
Hopefully steer clear of injury, Henrik terrible 3rd season leg break, then came back as ann even smarter better version of himself, phenomonal man,
Here we go again
Maybe I am missing something obvious but how would Celtic forging links with one Saudi Arabian club stop other Saudi Arabian clubs offering our stars negamillions to Jump ship?
Quiz question …………….. for all his greatness, and our top ever european goalscorer, how many Chamions League Group goals did henrik ever score ?
and who was the opposition when he did ?
total aside , i did thnk when Kyogo scored with the head for Japan, it was very henrik like, and he adds that to his game here he will become even more of a threat, and aye take the penalties as well, if we ever get any.
did you know during this close season rangers have not had a single penalty awarded against them, just lik ein the regular season.
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 5TH JULY 2023 12:35 PM
Big Wavy,
If Maeda and Abada are our starters (transfer window moves notwithstanding) I would place Rocco Vata as the third choice winger. He is good enough to challenge and surpass both Mikey J and Forrest and I would have Haksa compete with Matt O’ Riley for the creative number 10 slot.
—-
I’d be gutted if that’s where we land at the end of the summer. Wingers are an important part of the way BR sets up. I’d be expecting more quality than that. Vata has a lot to prove.
HH
I am really going to miss JOTA, Hunskelper and cup winning goals. A superstar, lets see if it happens for him in saudi or has he sold his celtic football soul to the devils.
All Celtic Goals 2022/23 | Jota’s 15 goals for the Celts this season!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc_nBcRzosQ
Talking about the King of Kings
the ither imposters scottish coronation in embra today.
THE NOT MY KING PROTESTORS are doing a grand job.
The faces on the dressed up goons iare priceless
I’m sorry to see Jota got to where slippery G has gone -sports washing at its worst
SAINT STIVS on 5TH JULY 2023 12:43 PM
Very good account of: ‘Larsson, The Early Weeks’.
The Hibs game did not augur well. But, through the mists of time, I thought Henrik began to establish himself in that Tirol game you reference. Sure, there was an own goal but he was everywhere on the park that night. If memory serves, Morten Weighorst was outstanding – the MOM.
One thing that struck about Henrik in his first few months here was how much it hurt not to win. Not all of his team-mates always shared his pain.
Jota who?
Looking forward to seeing who next season’s new superstar will be.
Jota’s gone. CGAF about him now.
Arrived at acceptance a long time ago csc
HH
For me- last season- Jota was our biggest talent- and Hatate was our brightest prospect. Kyogo won player of the year because goalscorer are valued so highly but he was neither our most gifted player nor our most consistent.
Of the squad we have- with Jura and Jota gone- we only have a couple of clear European level performers:-
Johnston, CCV, Hatate, McGregor and Kyogo.
We could do with a starter upgrade and cover at GK, LB, CB (2x) and DM
We can leave room for growth into the team by Iwata, Vata, Holm, Tillio and the S. Korean boy but we cannot be sure that any of these will supplant an existing player straightaway (Holm is the best bet for a regular start)
I think most agree
we need a strong back up challenge or replacement for
Hart
Starfelt (who did remarkably well last year)
Taylor
McGregor (if only to give him more rest)
O’Riley (needs a stronger challenger than Turnbull to kick on)
Both starting winger slots (Maeda will rise to the challenge but I don’t see anyone currently here who would frighten Rocco Vata- the boy’s a player)
So as per the model that p67 was championing yesterday, all this contract extensions does is gain us a few millon more should a bid come in.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy we’ve got it over the line but in no way can we say Kyogo will be the Larsson type talisman to build our team around. We could just as easily sell Kyogo next month.
Season ticket sales
2023 (sold out no figure seen)
2022 52,562
2021 55,320
2020 52,457
2019 52,520
2018 52,229
2017 48,732
2016 39,309
2015 40,472
2014 43,072
2013 41,716
2012 44,975
2011 44,734
2010 50,826
2009 54,252
2008 53,517
2007 53,040
2006 53,602
2005 53,369
2004 53,158
2003 53,464
2002 53,457
@ Huddleboard
You can see the peaks and troughs Brendan Rodgers clearly the man for the job.
Reo Hatate is currently not a Euro level performer.
Lots of growth there but I suspect a strong, possession-focused CM with a higher success rate of passing will be bought. The £16m Swiss man an example.
I could argue that our entire midfield 3 could be upgraded if we were ruthless enough with our budget. Callum will of course remain the constant and interesting to see if he can get a tune out of season 2 Iwata. I’d love us to go get big Souza in Spain. Got relegated, turned us down last season but terrific stats in a top 5 league.
I’m fascinating to see how ruthless BR will be with an eye to European progress.
HH
SAINT STIVS on 5TH JULY 2023 12:14 PM
A partnership with a Saudi anything ………….down with this sort of thing
*I think we are all getting bent out of shape over an article in the Herald, a paper we once banned and its subsidiaries, the Times and Scottish Referee, around 130+ years ago for their downright lies and malice against us, in fact the only favorable newspaper of note back then was the Dundee Courier, and it wasn’t an attack based on our burgeoning talent and success but our ethnicity as the latter used tae label us as the “Irishmen” much tae the disdain of our Board who had went tae great pains tae not be the Glasgow version of the Hibs.
As for the connection of the SA to the MLS, not so as the MLS is quite a credible organisation, who have taken great pains to distance themselves from the old NASL who were truly a retirement home for aging fitba players, and for what its worth soccer is no longer a poor relation down there or even up here in the Great White North, in fact the small town Ontario where I now live, well known as a hockey town, has more weans, aye boys and girls, playing soccer than hockey as its cheaper safer and more time on the park/ice than the other, oh and a similar situation is allegedly evident in Texas aye Texas, the home of high school football, with minor soccer being more popular than football again for similar reasons
Anyway, tae get back tae Jota he’s only over there due tae a connection with the coach Nuno Herlander Simões Espírito Santo who has recognised his obvious talents but don’t forget until Ange, a manager who was our 2nd choice, got his hands on him and honed his obvious but latent talent. the Eagles couldnae give him away and he we will be a superstar and IMHO back in Europe within a couple of years as he is an exception to the rule.
Anybody heard from Big Jimmy lately ?. Hope he is well.
Hi Guys quick question that I’m sure one of you out there could help with, what is the song about the 1950 Charity Cup 3-2 win v the huns that contains the lyrics “in front of Danny Kaye” ?
Danny Kaye attended Hampden for the 1950 Charity Cup final when Celtic beat Rangers 3-2. Sorry no idea what the song was, but it presumably refers to this game, which is known in Celtic folklore as “ The Danny Kaye cup final “
@CQN News at Ten