Look at Kyogo here from the other night.
https://x.com/raised_onceltic/status/1755500265686347794?s=46&t=hLFVM4tcaAF7TEDm5mgJyQ
This is a decent article
Out dated tactics and muddled selection leave Celtic trailing (article)
19-02-24, 08:47
Brendan Rodgers’ decision to change the style of play that was so successful for Ange Postecoglou has been an act of self-harm to Celtic’s title defence
February 19 2024, The Times
With so many parts of Celtic underperforming right now, blame is being spread far and wide.
But if the board and certain players again got it tight both during and in the immediate aftermath of the latest listless slip-up — a 1-1 home draw with Kilmarnock — Brendan Rodgers has thus far managed to avoid any sustained scrutiny of his output.
We might have expected the reverse, what with a portion of the fanbase having never been supportive of the manager’s return given the circumstances of his 2019 departure, but either way, this version of Rodgers appears a pale imitation of what Celtic got first time around — certainly in the first year to 18 months of his initial term.
Right now, the Irishman’s reputation as an elite manager is exactly that: a reputation, not an accurate reflection of his present or recent performance. As Celtic’s season teeters on the very brink of disaster — with all the signs of an impending train wreck having been visible for months — it is no exaggeration to accuse Rodgers of a failure to manage both up and down.
Of course he has been failed by those whose primary responsibility is recruitment, but considering how central issues of control over transfers and the club’s ambitions in the market proved to a breakdown of relations between manager and board first time around, it would have been negligent in the extreme for Rodgers not to have nailed down different parameters before agreeing to come back. Yet either those guarantees were not in place, or they have not been honoured — either way, it makes the front man look weak.
This feeds into a second issue around man-management of his players. Rodgers’ repeated calls for greater “quality” before and during the January transfer window were not misplaced, at least if he knew there was a more than decent chance of them being heeded and acted upon by the board.
After another thoroughly unimpressive window, however, Rodgers has been left in a position of having to ask some of the very players he has effectively branded sub-standard to turn around this unfolding disaster.
Amid a horrendous run of injuries to linchpins such as Cameron Carter-Vickers, Reo Hatate and, latterly, Alistair Johnston and Greg Taylor, Rodgers has played a bizarre game of hokey cokey with the likes of Maik Nawrocki, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Tomoki Iwata and Paulo Bernardo. Players are promoted from nowhere (Stephen Welsh, Lagerbielke) then sometimes disappear from view just as quickly (Lagerbielke and Iwata). It all feels very flimsy and tentative.
Ego has always been simultaneously one of Rodgers’ biggest strengths and a fatal flaw. When operating at his best, the former Liverpool and Leicester City manager has the force of personality and the strength of conviction to transform a whole environment. He has — or at least had — that rare ability to improve players, imbuing them with confidence.
On the flip side, however, Rodgers’ total belief in his own ability, even his own righteousness, can lead him to acts of self-harm such as completely changing the style of a side who had romped to a treble weeks before he arrived and where recruitment had been based on an up-tempo, high-pressing approach of all-out attack under Ange Postecoglou.
Bar a handful of standout performances — the 4-1 win at Tynecastle back in October, a 6-0 thrashing of Aberdeen the following month, and two impressively-constructed derby successes — Celtic have been a side held prisoner by an obsession with retaining possession.
It is football from 15 years ago being attempted by players who often appear at a loss as to what it is they are actually being asked to do. With 71 per cent of possession at the weekend, Celtic managed five shots on target, to Kilmarnock’s six. While trying to walk it into the opposition net, they are routinely tripping up.
Without Hatate, there is no midfielder given to attempt a killer pass, and none of the many wingers appear willing or capable when it comes to hitting the byline and flashing across those low deliveries on which Kyogo Furuhashi used to feast.
The campaign has already seen any number of “kick up the backside” moments and the response has been either fleeting or non-existent. Again, this can only reflect badly on Rodgers and his ability to raise a consistent tune from the most expensively assembled orchestra in the land. So often he has spoken post-match about a lack of tempo, only for the same deficiency to materialise again the following week.
In-game, meanwhile, his substitutions often have the feel of being by rote — a winger here, one of the middle three there. Having played a major role in fostering the rise of Callum McGregor, it is inconceivable that Rodgers believes the captain is best utilised sitting ten yards in front of the centre backs, shuttling endless tame passes back and forth with whichever pair have appeared that day.
With Matt O’Riley badly off the boil in the wake of the January speculation linking him with a move to Atletico Madrid, there is surely some merit in pushing him and McGregor back into the twin No 8 berths with Iwata underpinning things in that quarterback role.
It is now at the stage where Rodgers must try something, anything, because this season can only end one way if his approach remains the same. Indeed, even if Rodgers were to somehow turn the tide and land the club’s third successive title, it is hard to see how he can convince supporters that he really is a man in the right movie second time around.
A summer parting of ways already feels likely, and will quickly become inevitable unless Rodgers shows both the desire and the ability to change.
Whatever about the horrible recruitment lately, this sort of appalling pattern of play appears to be entirely on Rodgers.
Breaking a press but with no options coming available in midfield. Overly structured to not risk anything in a promising area so we go backwards then start playing risky passes at the back instead and then we just play into trouble.
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Joe Hart has announced he’s retiring at the end of the season. He’s been a good signing. Offered leadership & experience & was a solid presence. Crucial particularly in those early Postecoglou months off the back of the disastrous season before & Barkas, Bain & others being useless in the goal. Looked like he was coming to the end last season & ideally his replacement would already be at the club & working with him/pushing for the place but Hart’s actually come into decent form & has made some important saves lately. We’d be in an even worse league position now but for him. Says the time is right & wants to announce now so it’s not a further point for speculation given his contract is up in the summer anyway.
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He must only be mid 30s???
Turns 37 before the end of the season.
Surprised to see him retire, he’s in great Nick, he’d knock a few years out of it if he wanted. He’s had a decent career, good on him. A decent lad.
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We’d still be second I’d say.
Spending caps😀
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When spending is high in the EPL we are told we can’t compete. When spending is low in the EPL we are told this is a reason for why we shouldn’t compete 
.
We can usually only compete with English salaries when it comes to chief executives pay.
A broke huns side brought in players straight into their starting xi no problem.
They must think we are all buttoned up at the back
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Huns 4-0 up early in the second half against Hearts. They’re racking up the wins & clearly full of confidence. Celtic need to keep within a game of them & see how they deal with the pressure going down the stretch.
Great isn’t it. Rogers has dismantled Celtic. Lads now hoping to stay within a few points of sevco.
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Lads didn’t even see this coming is what’s utterly bizarre. Rangers deserve to win the league as they’re the only ones taking it seriously
They’re a better and more entertaining side at present. But Celtic have 70m in the bank.
Rogers should never have been reappointed
It’s all stale. Both losing and playing dull football whilst at it, the only thing that he’s currently good at is belligerence, and playing to the camera if the team win.
Nawrocki sustained a leg injury the other day & will miss tomorrow night & probably some further games. Hopefully CCV can slot back in but Scales’ displays since the winter break have been distinctly average. Maybe he’s regressing to the mean after playing above himself earlier in the season? He’s been slow & ponderous on the ball, taking loads of touches, allowing opponents to get everyone back in defensive position, & his bread & butter defending has been shaky. Welsh has had enough chances at this stage & I know he’s not the answer so it’ll probably be CCV & Scales for this next batch of games, if Rodgers feels CCV is ready to play from the start. He’ll want CCV to play at Hearts on Sunday so he might only play part of tomorrow night’s game whether that’s 60 from the start of another 30/45 from the bench. Lagerbielke remains out of the picture.
Kyogo is the other main issue. It’s clear the slow tempo, possession without penetration, football under Rodgers doesn’t suit him but I can’t help feel he should be doing more to get involved himself. There were plenty of games under Postecoglou where he wasn’t heavily involved in general play but he always looked enthusiastic & lively & was constantly on the move, looking to get in. He’s been hanging around the fringes of plenty of games this season & not looking too bothered. He can’t have any complaints if Idah gets the start after his match winning contribution on Sunday.
I don’t really think playing Kyogo off Idah is the way forward either - I’d prefer a proper midfield three & a front three with a striker & two wingers. On that point, Yang might have played himself into the team after that cameo on Sunday. He looked very good & that came on the back of apparently playing well in the Asian Cup for Korea. There were a couple of games pre Christmas where he looked on the verge of cementing a place but then followed up promising games with disappointing ones so we’ll have to wait & see. But he was much more positive & aggressive than Kuhn, who’s been completely ineffective so far (bar the equaliser in Aberdeen).
I’d also like to see Iwata retained in midfield just to give some discipline there. Let McGregor & O’Riley link with the attackers & overlapping full backs & Iwata can hold the middle & prevent counter attacks with the centre backs (hopefully). The second half on Sunday had those rotations and combinations between players resulting in cut backs & efforts on goal that were a hallmark of the past couple of seasons so hopefully we see more of that & the late win has a galvanising effect. There have been some false dawns already this season but I’m hoping it’s a momentum changer.
Back and to the left. Back and to the left.
Brendan Rogers’ Celtic in a nutshell.
That’s annoying about Nawrocki. I think he’s comfortably the second best centre back at the moment. Teams are happy to let Scales have the ball and everyone seems to get opportunities attacking down his side, no matter who the full back is. He doesn’t appear to notice a ball into the channel until it appears over his head.
I’d nearly be playing Kyogo on the wing for half an hour or something. He’s capable in that area and it didn’t work having him playing off Idah because we were just far too open. But Yang, Idah and Maeda as a front three makes sense. I’m hoping Kuhn can improve because he’s miles off it so far.
And agreed on Iwata. I’m guessing 90 minutes was a bit much for him the other day but start him again and Holm and Bernardo should be ok options to freshen up the midfield as the game goes on.
Get da fuck and bring yer aul fella with ye
https://x.com/clydessb/status/1763603231979020343?s=46&t=hLFVM4tcaAF7TEDm5mgJyQ
We can only live in hope.