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News
‘Painful to see’… Chris Sutton now shares why he believes Kyogo Furuhashi is struggling at Celtic this season
Kyogo Furuhashi has not been the player under Brendan Rodgers that the fans grew to love under Ange Postecoglou.
The Japanese striker was deadly in his first two seasons at Celtic. With 54 goals and ten assists in his first two seasons, Furuhashi’s goal return helped to deliver a double in his first season and a record-breaking treble in his second.
This season, however, the 29-year-old has struggled to make that same kind of impact and whilst many believe it’s because Brendan Rodgers has asked the striker to play in a different role, Chris Sutton thinks he knows exactly why Kyogo isn’t as free-scoring this season.
In his column in the , Sutton said, “It’s almost painful to see what has happened to the Japanese over the past few months. The guy scored 27 league goals in 31 starts last season. Eight in 21 this season.
“He is a difference maker. He’s shown it for two seasons as a big game player.
“Kyogo’s record against Rangers is phenomenal. He’s a proven match-winner who is sharper in movement and brain than anyone else in the Scottish Premiership.
“His awareness with the give and go and shot that won the second penalty at Easter Road decided the game. It’s the drop in levels around him which is the problem. Not Kyogo.
“That’s on the slip in standards of his supply line. Ange Postecoglou found a way to supply him Rodgers has not.”
Celtic’s style of play this season has been painful to watch at times. Struggling against the likes of St Johnstone, Motherwell, Ross County and Hibs, the team look bereft of ideas on how to break down stubborn defences.
Long gone are the days when players like Jota used to unlock defences with ease. Celtic now have to rely on the likes of Palma and Maeda to do that and it seems that both wingers just can’t do that.
Daizen Maeda can beat players easily with his pace but his final ball can be extremely poor. Luis Palma has shown that he has excellent delivery from the wing areas but that has also been lacking of late.
Both these players need to up their game and help Kyogo get back to his goalscoring best because if his goal return continues on this path, there is a very real danger that Celtic could fail to win the league this season.
In other news, ‘Obviously’… Andy Walker delivers his early verdict on Adam Idah at Celtic