Maeda expectations

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By any objective measure, Shunsuke Nakamura was an outstanding success at Celtic.  It is a measure of just how high the expectations were under Gordon Strachan that our first Japanese Bhoy did not carry the Celtic complete support.

Scotland was Naka’s second European country and went everywhere with an interpreter, it was thought a second player from Japan would help him settle.  Koki Mizuno arrived to great fanfare in January 2008, we knew nothing of him, but he was a Japanese international, and we knew how good they were.

Koki scored an incredible goal at Falkirk that was straight out of the Paddy McCourt playbook, but that was the exception, he left two years later without troubling the Japanese international side again.

The reception Kyogo Furuhashi received in Glasgow is similar to that Naka earned in 2005.  The anticipation of the expected arrival of Daizen Maeda, currently a striker for Ange Postecoglou’s former club, Yokohama F. Marinos, is very reminiscent of how we felt about Koki Mizuno 13 years ago.

Naka was a very special talent (and apparently still is).  He transformed Celtic from the moment he walked in the door, two days after the 5-0 defeat to Artmedia Bratislava.  Kyogo is also a very special talent, equally transformational in what he has done in a few months in Scotland.

By implication, we cannot expect to go back to Japan and recruit a similar talent – there would be nothing special about that talent if we did.  Any reasonable expectation would permit Daizen Maeda as much settling in time as we afford Giorgos Giakoumakis.

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  1. Many great musicians come out of Japan let’s hope Maeda does not have ambitions of joining Celtic’s renowned ham string quintet.

  2. Walter smith is dead.Whatever you think of him is surely irrelevant now.

     

    If you can’t be respectful or nice.Don’t say anything.

     

    My gran told me that.

  3. PHILBHOY-Hi mate hope you had nice Christmas.

     

    Smith will never be my favourite.But I don’t see anything being gained on here by degrading the man.

     

    Maybe I’m mellowing 😉

  4. Anyone know what SFTB`s 5:46 pm reference to Joe Hart and his punishment was about? I am assuming it was humour but over my head.

     

     

     

    FESS19 on 30TH DECEMBER 2021 1:33 PM

     

    Thanks for that.

  5. HS- I did read on the interweb that some players celebrated winning the cup.

     

    Now before you ask for prove. I have none.

     

    It’s what rumours are all about 😉

     

    🤷🏻‍♂️= who knows

  6. Burnley78 & Hot Smoked

     

     

    “SFTB

     

    What punishment Re Hart ?”

     

    ——————————————-

     

     

    I was referring to the internet scuttlebut that Ange had punished Hart and Calmac for encouraging several bhoys to party after the LC final, which was coincidental with an outbreak of Covid within our party.

     

     

    I have no idea if it is truthful or not, but, even if true, the pinishment has been served and I do not want to risk a reliance on Barkas, who has not yet earned his place abck on footballing ability. For me, Joe Hart is the clear Number 1 keeper we have ( though it is good to see Ross Doohan doing well at Tranmere).

  7. Derby County, who have had 21 points deducted in the EFC, may yet escape relegation, if their current form continues. That would be a turn up for the books.

  8. My mother clipped me round the ear for telling my granny she had skin like a chicken. That’s where the old saying, “the truth always hurts” came from

  9. I’ve watched all the Premiership games this week on Amazon. I honestly think they’ve used McCoists commentary from the first game for every game thereafter…..either that or he comes away with the same SHITE every game…..

  10. ….and another thing….he gives ALL top six team players their first name…as though he knows them personally, “lovely lob from Christiano there”, but second names for lower placed clubs, “that was terrible from McBurty”

     

    How the f*#k does he get these jobs?

  11. Greenwood of Man Yoo just did 4 step overs then side stepped a defender before shooting. McCoist says he hit it early. Wtf?

  12. Wummin eh?

     

     

    The mrs is just not happy that I refuse to let her wash my lucky white golf socks. Had them for 3 years now and never lost a game when wearing them. What’s her PROBLEM?

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