‘Absolutely shameful’ ‘No Hatate – no quick, brave, visionary passing’ ‘turgid, boring’ Why has it gone downhill for Kyogo?

At Hampden in February he was virtually unplayable in the final of the Viaplay Cup, yesterday against Motherwell Kyogo Furuhashi was unrecognisable, much like the Celtic team sheet.

The team that lifted the first trophy of last season’s Treble has almost disappeared in front of our eyes. Jota, Carl Starfelt and Aaron Mooy have left the club with Liel Abada, Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda. When you rest Alistair Johnston there isn’t much left, Mark Lawwell’s summer projects are way short of what is needed and wouldn’t have got near the bench for last season’s Treble Winners.

The spine might remain in Joe Hart, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Kyogo but too much of a burden is being placed on them to maintain the standards set in two breathtaking seasons under Ange Postecoglou.

Kyogo is still a brilliant, incisive, instinctive and clinical striker but it seems that the possession based game installed by Brendan Rodgers has left him neutered. His Champions League record this season is outstanding.

Against Lazio and Atletico Madrid he scored brilliant goals, his trademark strikes of using pace and his nose for where the goal is. Domestically he is looking a different player.

Playing Motherwell and in many other domestic matches he is virtually lost as the ball goes ponderously from side to side against a packed defence that knows exactly what to expect.

Feel like a broken record but Rodgers tactics has totally nullified Kyogo, he barely toches the ball, can’t get involved in games, everything around him is slow & predictable, he’s a man down most weeks now, his enthusiasm was one of his biggest traits, that’s totally evaporated.

— Inside The SPFL (@AgentScotland) November 25, 2023

Starting with his goal at Ibrox in January Kyogo was on fire, too fast for Scottish defences to cope with and the focus for Angeball as low shots were drilled across goal from the touchline.

At Ibrox in September he scored a different type of goal, an instinctive opportunistic strike that was too well struck for Jack Butland. Just three more domestic goals have followed in the nine matches since, in the Champions League he has two goals in four matches.

Talents like that don’t come along very often, he is in a different planet to Vakoun Bayo, Patryk Klimala and Albian Ajeti, if Rodgers wants to develop his plans he really needs to start working to the strengths of his star striker.

Some saying “Kyogo’s numbers are similar to last year”, not if you deep dive it…

22-23 (after 14 league games inc all comps) Kyogo scored 11, 3 assists in 867 mins

⚽️ every 78mins
⚽️/🅰️ every 62mins

23-24: 8 goals, 2 assists in 1394 mins

⚽️ every 174mins
⚽️/🅰️ every 139mins

— Inside The SPFL (@AgentScotland) November 26, 2023

No Hatate – no quick, brave, visionary passing

Each player out there taking 3 touches each..some 4..just to move the ball round the horseshoe of dull repeat

Wingers always cutting in then laying back or just immediately laying back..sigh central

— E-Tims (@ETimsNet) November 26, 2023

Rodgers tactics/ football is turgid , boring and uninteresting.
Same as it was before he left .

— . (@naimadlD) November 26, 2023

Couldn’t agree more. Rodgers has taken a world class finisher and made him a passenger. Absolutely shameful. From back through midfield our play is just dreadful. Exactly how I remember his last stint at the club before he left.

— Mikie Bhoy (@MikieBhoy67) November 25, 2023

Best player in Scottish football and he doesn’t know how to utilise him.
Baffling

— Highland__Paddy (@Highland__paddy) November 25, 2023

You can’t imagine Kyogo is enjoying his football, a handful of touches in a game? He’s simply not being utilised, worrying

— Algarve Celtic (@AlgarveCeltic) November 26, 2023

Oh they absolutely are.

At same stage last season (after 14 league games inc all comps) Kyogo had 11 goals, 3 assists in 867 mins

Goal every 78 mins
Goal or assist every 62 mins

This season, 8 goals, 2 assists in 1394 mins

Goal every 174 mins
Goal or assist every 139 mins

— Inside The SPFL (@AgentScotland) November 25, 2023

Hatate being out is definitely a big problem for Celtic but he isn’t specifically the reason Kyogo isn’t scoring goals, Kyogo has scored 62 times for Celtic and Hatate has assisted six of those, the problem is the speed of play & lack of quality from the wide areas.

— Inside The SPFL (@AgentScotland) November 25, 2023

Kyogo needs those killer through balls coming from the middle or by line and it just isn’t happening at the minute everything is far too slow coming forward allowing teams to settle into shape

— Jack (@SonofLaughlin) November 25, 2023

This is a very fair point. Kyogo’s movement is incedible and i had HOPED this season we would have exploit that much more. I get that’s difficult when we are faced with a ‘low block’…but we are wayyyy too slow in our build up play. Even allowing for return after Int break.👊🍀

— Derek O’Neill (@u2deek) November 25, 2023