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Pat Bonner explains why Kyogo Furuhashi has lost his edge in the Celtic attack

Patrick Sinat

Sun 27 August 2023 9:45, UK

ඣThere are many things about Celtic that Brendan Rodgers needs to address in the coming weeks.

The injury crisis is one as well as the need to add quality to the Celtic first team. But there is one major issue that the Celtic⛦ manager needs to address. Kyogo Furuhashi’s role in the team.

ꦉThe Japanese striker is one of Celtic’s most dangerous and potent goal threats. Furuhashi has been a goal machine since coming to the club and the way that Ange Postecoglou deployed him as the lone striker was extremely effective.

🃏But under Brendan Rodgers, Kyogo is being asked to do a different role for the Celtic team. And it is one that former Celtic hero, Pat Bonner feels is making his performances worse for the Bhoys.

♕When asked why he thinks Kyogo is not performing to the standards that he was last season, Bonner was straight to the point.

🔯Bonner said [], “I think that’s because he was starting almost on the shoulder of defenders.

𓂃“Now he’s been asked, whether it’s him or whether it’s the tactics, to come and play almost deeper in that space between the midfield and the back four.

𓆏“So when a ball does quickly go wide in towards that area, he’s obviously having to travel a longer distance to get into those positions.”

Celtic need Kyogo firing

💙For the past two seasons Celtic fans have watched Kyogo bamboozle defences in Scotland with his movement and sharpness in front of goal.

🍸And as Pat Bonner says, that’s because he used to play the offside trap extremely well off the shoulders of defenders.

Taking that part out of his game by asking him to come deeper is certainly nullifying his goal threat and making Celtic less of an attacking threat in the final third.

☂The fans have seen on two occasions now that without the Japanese forward on top form, they are lacking penetration up front. And that is something that Rodgers needs to address moving forward.

ꦜWith Ibrox up next and how the team are performing at the moment, Celtic are going to need all the help they can get if they are to leave Glasgow’s south side with anything from next week’s derby.

In other news, ♚‘I have to adjust’: 25-year-old Celtic player admits he’s still getting used to Brendan Rodgers’s tactics