HE is unquestionably the signing of the Ange Postecoglou Celtic era – but are the Scottish Champions too reliant on star man Kyogo Furuhashi?
The Japanese international has instantly become a fan favourite, thanks to his impressive goal-scoring record, mature all-round game and, of course, his absorbing personality traits. All of which results in a character who has tightly grasped the Scottish football scene.
Kyogo currently tops the Premiership scoring charts with 19 goals already to his name this league campaign, meaning he is averaging a little over a goal a game. It's a hugely impressive statistic for a player that arrived in Scotland in the summer of 2021 as a relatively unknown quantity.
This season’s numbers carry on from his impressive total of 12 in the league last term, where he was ultimately pipped at the post to the top scorer accolade by his strike partner Giorgos Giakoumakis.
The Greek target man found the back of the net on 13 occasions, but despite his impressive form, game time was hard to come by under Postecoglou and he's now departed for pastures new in the MLS with Atlanta United.
The transatlantic switch came as a shock to many, and an argument can now be made that Celtic might end up short of firepower at the top end of the pitch, as they head into an extremely pressurised period of the season.
Giakoumakis offered a different option to Kyogo and his aggressive, physical style allowed Postecoglou to switch up his attacking shape when needed both domestically and in European competition.
He will be a loss, there is no doubt about that, but can Kyogo withstand the pressure of being THE man to fire Celtic to a possible treble this season? The short answer? Of course, he can.
The 28-year-old oozes confidence and quite honestly it looks as though the word ‘pressure’ is not part of his Japanese dialect. He has grasped the Scottish game with ease and has defenders tearing their hair out on a weekly basis. His perpetual movement must be a nightmare to come up against.
Despite this, there is always the possibility of a dreaded injury, and that will no doubt be a constant worry for Postecoglou and his team’s supporters.
Football managers have to be prepared for any possible outcome but if Kyogo was to pick up a knock, how well-equipped is the Parkhead squad to continue on their stunning run of form in all competitions?
Well at first glance, South Korean Oh Hyeon-gyu appears to have been brought in as a direct replacement for Giakoumakis during the January transfer window and it looks as though he would be the first port of call if disaster struck.
The 21-year-old is a young, fresh addition to the Celtic squad and has looked bright in cameo displays so far during his time in Glasgow. During brief substitute appearances, Oh has looked sharp, hungry and determined to get on the scoresheet. Does he have the prowess and experience to guide Celtic from the front as they battle it out for silverware in three competitions though? Postecoglou certainly thinks so.
“He’s a young guy but very mature and wants to make an impact, as seen in the way he’s tackled his career so far,” the Celtic boss explained after capturing the striker on a five-year deal for a fee of £2.5million.
"He’s made strong choices, he’s done his military service, he worked hard to keep his team up last year as a young striker, he made the national team squad, and now he’s made a decision to try and crack it over here.”
As Postecoglou mentions Oh was key as his former side Suwon Samsung Bluewings survived relegation in the K-League last term as he netted 14 crucial goals. This pressurised environment will be sure to help him on his journey at Celtic, but does it compare to the pressures of the Scottish game? That one is up for debate.
Oh is not the only back-up striker option at Postecoglou’s disposal as he could easily bring a number of his midfield options in to spearhead his team from the front.
The likes of Daizen Maeda, Liel Abada, Jota, Saed Haksobanovic and David Turnbull could all be utilised further forward as strikers, or a false 9 formation which the Australian manager has been known to plump for in previous jobs.
There are options for Postecoglou and his coaching staff and that is why he will feel comfortable and confident with the squad at his disposal. The starting XI is currently so strong and the alternative options that are available from the bench do not weaken the team one bit.
Celtic have enough options to make them multiple trophy winners, with or without their Japanese talisman. That said, even the most optimistic Hoops fan will hope the alternatives never need to be truly tested.
