All going well, in the weeks ahead, Ange Postecoglou will consider replacing his current Most Valuable Player – Giorgos Giakoumakis – with his MVP from the first half of the season, Kyogo Furuhashi.
It is easy to forget how early we are in the formation of this Celtic team. Daizan Maeda and Reo Hatate are only here two months, Matt O’Riley less than that. None have teamed up with Kyogo, they have spent little time with playing with Yosuke Ideguchi, James Forrest or David Turnbull.
That bizarrely easy win in February over Newco implied the new model had a maturity that was not there yet. A month of indifferent performances followed, with a harsh truth delivered by Bodo/Glimt. On good surfaces and against Premiership opposition, the system is again looking fabulous.
A big part of this system is what Giakoumakis gives us in the air – two headed goals and one headed assist on Saturday. Without him, we have the appearance of a front line that could not jump and touch the crossbar. We would also lose an additional strong defender at set-pieces.
The temptation to make Kyogo the new focus could be overwhelming, he was that impressive. He brings things to Celtic we have not seen in years. Question is, what will the costs be of dropping Giorgos, or rejigging the entire setup to fit both in?
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Good afternoon all
Good afternoon Lefti.
Hope all good down your way
HH
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 22ND MARCH 2022 11:53 AM
You’re an SNP supporter who had never heard of Arthur Donaldson. You’ll forgive me if I think your political opinions are half baked gibberish.
Paul, if that’s the most we have to worry about we’re in a great place. If Kyogo is on the bench, what a sub to come on.
All good bud, eldest works In care in the community and has caught covid again after caring for a covid positive client at the end of last week but thankfully she is not too bad so far.
Means the wee man will be with us for a week again which is great.
Pingback: The costs of dropping Giakoumakis for Kyogo | Celtic FC News Now
We certainly seem to have a number of ways to play now.
Seems to be less of a need to play the same formation, albeit with rotating players.
Ange is learning as he continues to deliver.
“or rejigging the entire setup to fit both in?”
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Wondered how long it would be before somebody suggested that.
NO! No, no, no, no and no again!
GG should keep his place until such time as he loses form or Kyogo is doing more when he comes off the bench or if a game situation is more suited to his style. Remember he can also play as one of the wide forwards.
Also now seeing the benefits of more variation in the crossing. Mixing up the pace and area of delivery, angles and trajectories. Especially liked the one for the second goal – beyond the back post and then back into the middle. Good one for catching out the ball-watchers.
Boy, do I hate international breaks.
The chance of injuries.
The lack of fitba at the weekend.
The petty squabbles when said fitba is on a break.
That said, spring is here! Had a rip roaring 4 day weekend with two good days in the garden.
What a pleasantly refreshing conundrum we now face Paul67. Who to drop? When is the last time we had decisions to be made in the starting line up for several positions for good reasons?
HH all.
I don’t think we will play Kyogo but keeping the question open all next week will give the Huns another headache as they need to plan for two kinds of challenge from us.
GG will also give us extra height when defending against the Huns obvious tactic of attacking our percieved achilles – the cross into the box.
Play at pace, like we did in February in the first half, and we will break their lines constantly (as their Euro opponents have done) but we don;t need to go gung ho as a draw would suit us and they need to come at us.
So, in short, 60 minutes of a GG battering and bring on Kyogo for their tired ole limbs, alongside Abada for Jota. Keep Maeda up there and be the pest they will hate. All this keeps them away from Tav Pen advancing up the right and chances of free kicks.
Lovely jubbly csc
HH
ERNIE LYNCH on 22ND MARCH 2022 12:12 PM
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 22ND MARCH 2022 11:53 AM
You’re an SNP supporter who had never heard of Arthur Donaldson. You’ll forgive me if I think your political opinions are half baked gibberish.
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I’ve voted SNP the last 10 years and have never heard of him.
Was my vote still eligible?
Boligoli was the scapegoat for the Dubai fiasco,I still say he is the best left back with Celtic,he should be given another chance ,not left out to hang and dry ,would be surprised if he was made another scapegoat after getting beat 1/0 atLivingston.
Reminds me a bit of the Larsson, Sutton, Hartson dilemma. Who do you leave out?
Kyogo is closest we have seen to Larsson’s genius. He plays when fit. Gia can play beside him or maybe not. Ange will know. If they cannot dovetail then Gia becomes a supersub. Kyogo will probably be best protected from further damage if he is only used for 50-60 minutes a game until end of season. Give Gia 30 minutes or so per game. Win-win.
And start Gia when we are playing on astro when tactics also change to more direct football.
LAMBERT14 on 22ND MARCH 2022 12:28 PM
If you’d never heard of Arthur Donaldson then you had no understanding of what the SNP is all about.
Here’s a clue: it’s maybe not what you imagine it to be.
Donaldson wanted to be Scotland’s Quisling.
Last time we went there, we accommodated a returning Edouard to the detriment of the team’s performance. I don’t see Ange making te same mistake this time round.
We’ve a settled team that is on form, let’s stick with it. Kyogo getting the last twenty minutes at Ibrox and a start the following weekend seems a wise move.
If we were to drop GG then we wouldn’t be able to take advantage of Jota’s excellent crosses.
I think we need a bit of muscle up front against them – GG to start.
For me, this is not a quandary that needs resolved immediately.
Will be a selection factor for games 34 to 38 (when Kyogo will be nearing full fitness).
In other news, the latest Chelsea “developments” will provide ZERO comfort for those concerned with foreign ownership of UK football.
The Russian is on his way out.
In the frame ….
Saudi, Korean, American, Swiss
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 22ND MARCH 2022 12:51 PM
‘For me, this is not a quandary that needs resolved immediately.’
###
Plenty of time yet for one or both to get injured in training, catch something or otherwise be unavailable, so just keep the options open for now.
MAJESTIC HARTSON on 22ND MARCH 2022 8:50 AM [from before]
Quad,
Haha! Sounds like a great dream. Cheers for sharing.
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Thanks MAJESTIC – patently I’m the only one with nocturnal aspirations of pulling the hoops on ;)
BADA [from before] re Bolingoli – he clearly broke multiple panes in a house of mirrors on Friday the 13th while failing to pass on a chain letter. I too feel he’s the best LB we have on our books but has been victimised for catalysing a chain of awful, awful events.
GENE on 22ND MARCH 2022 12:42 PM
I think we need a bit of muscle up front against them – GG to start.
Definitely Gene,I don’t see it as an either or,but what is best for the team.He will give us a presence physically,and that will be needed against Lundestrom(sp).It is good to have options and not be as fixed as our opponent.long time before game,let’s get all back safely first.
==========================
LEFTI
hope your lass gets better,one of the true army of carers and supporters going bout their caring day in day out…and all unclapped! She would prob chase that nonsense anyway.Hope you enjoy the lads company over next while,always a chance to talk up Celtic👍
HH x2
TOM McLAUGHLIN from earlier.
Your one stadium, one city, Uefa criterion does not stand up to scrutiny.
London will have four, Liverpool, Manchester, and Dublin, will all have two.
Giorgos is an Enigma , one minute he looks like he couldn’t hit a Barn door then Bang he hits 3 in a row ! He adds something different to our play and I am glad we have him !
I dont know much about Arthur Donaldson and find the constant bickering between SNP supporters and opponents (or Nats and Unionists as they like to insult each other) very tiresome.
its none of my business but have always found the aversion to an independent Scotland to be strange ( yes I know there are/were genuine fears that the Orange Order would have a free reign to discriminate against the “Irish/Catholic” population) but….still find it strange
So back to Ernies bete noir Arthur Donaldson….from wikipedia
In May 1941, during the Second World War, Donaldson’s home was raided by the police, who suspected him and a number of other SNP figures of “subversive activities”, due to their support for the Scottish Neutrality League. An informant of MI5 told the desk officer Richard Brooman-White that in the event of a German invasion of Britain, Donaldson had told him that he intended to set up a puppet government akin to that of Vidkun Quisling in Norway. As a result of this information, Donaldson was arrested and interned under Defence Regulation 18B, sent first to Kilmarnock Prison and then to Barlinnie Prison in Glasgow. He was held for six weeks. No evidence was ever produced and Donaldson was never charged.
Ok so he flirted with the old “my enemies enemy is my friend” theory…As did some in the Irish Republican movement during that period….That didnt make them fascists then and doesnt make them fascists now.
Frank Ryan for example,a life long socialist republican,fought against Franco was captured and would have been executed by the fascists only for intervention on his behalf by De Valera,eventually taken from a Spanish jail to Germany where he died during WW11….Was he a Nazi ? ….No
Sean Russell (IRA Chief of staff) died on a German UBoat on his way back to Ireland during WW11
Sean South whom the Green Brigade regularly eulogise would have probably had more in common with General Franco than Che Guevara …but he was a man of his time who was prepared to give his life for cause in which he passionately believed
Should all Irish Republicans hang their heads in shame because of this
No of course not
Many Ukrainians are now involved in a life and death struggle against foreign aggressors…Some of these are without doubt members of right wing (even fascists) groups….Should we not support Ukraine because of their involvement.
No doubt Mr Guevara will be on to tell me how wrong i am.
ERNIE LYNCH on 22ND MARCH 2022 12:36 PM
LAMBERT14 on 22ND MARCH 2022 12:28 PM
If you’d never heard of Arthur Donaldson then you had no understanding of what the SNP is all about.
Here’s a clue: it’s maybe not what you imagine it to be.
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I looked him up.
He died nearly 30 yrs ago.
Parties change their manifesto every election.
Sinn Fein are completely different from what they were originally.
Same with the Republicans and Democrats in America who completely swapped their positions from how they were when they were established.
VALE BHOY on 22ND MARCH 2022 12:37 PM
Donaldson wanted to be Scotland’s Quisling.
Oswald Moseley may have had a say in that
He was a member of the Labour and no memory party
He was also a member of the Conservative party
Ran the blackshirts til the fascism he represented felt the abrupt pain of the steelies to the skull routine.
You could focus on the up to date and ask why is the ex head of a crimplene(ha crippled in pred tex) orange order(fascist org) a prospective candidate in North Lanarkshire for Labour(a socialist party)
Whats happened to them?
What are they?
They don’t know.but we know fascists and racists are among them.
Sad
HH
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 22ND MARCH 2022 12:43 AM
In other news, are Police Scotland any closer to catching the guy who tried to burn Peter Lawwell’s house down while he and his family were in it?
B2B from last night. The ‘good’ news is that the rebuilding of a more modern garage/extension at Pedro’s house is well under way. However I do not know if it is still his house or not, certainly they have not been seen in the vicinity for months (and who could blame them given your reference to the police activity above?)
The ‘bad’ news is that the heated driveway is still going to be needed as there is little that can be done to change the steep, very steep incline up to the house. 😑
Ernie Lynch
Now we have a member of the orange order standing for Labour.
I don’t think that would have happened previously.
Parties change.
If I remember rightly, Celtic Park doesn’t have the 5 star UEFA rating for finals but not sure if that counts for tournament group stages. Hampden (no laughing at the back) has it and I think Ibrox still does.
Less about the fan experience and more about hot water and soft toilet paper in the VIP areas.
Bit of a shame as we fitted disco lights for this kind of thing. I believe the Pro14 rugby final in 2019 went well (I was at Hampden that day but the Leinster fans I met on the plane back to Dublin had a good day but did say the disco lights were a bit much. Rugby fans don’t do atmos. ssshhhh he’s taking a penalty!)
Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 22nd March 2022 12:51 pm
I’d like to think that Ange will be able to tweak our style and choice of wide players that will allow us to have the option of have two attacking front 4’s that can take advantage of the qualities of both strikers. One where we slip balls in the channel for Kyogo and another where we swing balls into the box for GG. I think the kyogo line up would be better against teams that attack us and the GG line up against packed defences.
Thats my tactical genius on show :-)
I’d love to think we could play both but I’m to be convinced on that.
The ignorance of the SNP supporters and their fellow travellers on here about Arthur Donaldson, and the extent to which he is revered by the party, is just astonishing.
You are being played for mugs.
ernie lynch on 22nd March 2022 1:32 pm
A new moniker for Kev?
If Sevco have offered Celtic 700 tickets for Ibrox, take them. When Celtic win, the 700 will give the players and Ange a focus for an on-field celebration. Otherwise it will be straight off the park at full-time.
Rub their noses in it.
JIMDOM on 22ND MARCH 2022 1:04 PM
TOM McLAUGHLIN from earlier.
Your one stadium, one city, Uefa criterion does not stand up to scrutiny.
London will have four, Liverpool, Manchester, and Dublin, will all have two.
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I remember when Scotland and Ireland bid for Euro 2008, the main reason quoted in the Scottish press was that the GAA not allowing Croke Park to be used was what scuppered it.
A while later (possibly after I moved to Ireland) I found out that another reason was that Glasgow did not have enough 5 star hotels to handle all the ‘blazers’ if we had 3 stadiums used.
Might still be an issue in Glasgow and cause the restriction Tom mentions. Edinburgh was apparently fine with 3 stadiums. Lot’s of VIPs stayed in Edinburgh for COP26 for the same reason.
‘no softa toilet paper at Hotel Bastardos’ #comicstrip #fistfuloftravellerscheques
I understand where Paul is coming from, however I think there is another dimension to be considered.
Both the team as a whole, and GG made inauspicious starts to the season. Only when Kyogo came on to his game did we start to fire and produce an impressive domestic run that thankfully continues today. Of course that continuation owes a lot to the belated form of GG coming in for the injured Kyogo. He has been a vital cog recently, but no more so than Kyogo was earlier.
There could be times when both will play and we go two upfront, that’s maybe something to look forward to, however It appears to me that GG is the type who needs to be playing week in and week out to get the best out of him – but will that be possible, and if not, could his form taper off?
Ange’s preferred style of play is only now, due to a fully fit squad, taking shape. Against Ross Co there was a confidence and assuredness that has not been apparent in the past few months, albeit results have stood up, and of course GG has played a major part.
In my opinion Kyogo is integral to ‘Ange Ball’ – I cannot envisage a fit & firing Kyogo left out in favour of GG – I maybe wrong…we wait and see.
ERNIE LYNCH on 22ND MARCH 2022 1:32 PM
The ignorance of the SNP supporters and their fellow travellers on here about Arthur Donaldson, and the extent to which he is revered by the party, is just astonishing.
You are being played for mugs.
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The orange order member actually being voted to stand in the constituency by fellow members of the Labour Party betrays the thinking of the membership and who they are trying to appeal ro..
You really are being taken for a mug.
WHAT IS THE STARZ on 22ND MARCH 2022 1:21 PM
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Very balanced piece WITS. On Sean South, I am still amazed at how many Celtic fans still think he was in the Easter Rising/War of Independence.
PS
I remember going to an Irish pub in Prague called O’Che’s, with the classic Che picture on the sign with a green beret. Very clever