Earlier today, I speculated on whether or not we might see the Greek Giakoumakis play for us on Saturday in the starting eleven.
Turns out that today he received a bit of a push by one the officials at his former club, who has predicted that he will do well for us.
“He is very good, very effective,” Director of Football of the Dutch side VVV Venlo, Stan Valckx, said of the player he signed. “I don’t think it is unrealistic to say that between now and the end of the season he can score between 15 and 20 goals in Scotland.”
I’d have to agree.
Playing in Celtic’s full-throated attacking team there is no reason at all that we shouldn’t be looking for him to pick up that many, and prove to the media that we are not over reliant on one player, the Japanese Bhoy.
“Celtic is a big club of course in an interesting league. It’s a physical league, but normally I would expect him to be in the box more than he was with Venlo. We’re a small club and we have to defend more,” he said.
And that should be the warning for those who have said that the signing might be a flop. It seems unlikely to me.
Valckx talked about his array of skills. “He scored from all sorts of angles, with his left foot, right foot, bicycle kicks, quite a lot of headers. He had a real diversity in the ways he was able to finish. In the box, he is very good, very effective.”
All this has reawakened the excitement I felt when I first heard that we were signing Holland’s top scorer.
That our club has been presented with such an opportunity is extraordinary, and the media’s complete ignorance of what this guy may well be able to give us has fed into the idea that we are somehow a declining force, a shadow of what we were.
Well, if this guy is even half as good as he sounds they are in for one Hell of a shock, and I for one cannot wait until the first time that becomes obvious.
James, this season resembles more, the seasons where we dawdle in the transfer window, bring in the players needed in instalments and then august to december means we’re gelling. This means that january onward we’ll kick on and go on a run. As long as we stay relevant we’ll be in the driving sea post winter break. I believe in this team and manager to bring home our title.??
Driving seat
Is he though??? Kyogo has to play through the middle. Out wide he is not as effective. If Kyogo stays fit then the Greek lad is on the bench. Not sure 15 to 20 goals will happen from sitting on the bench. My fear is he becomes another Klimala. No doubt he would do better if we was up front on his own. To score goals regularly you need to play regularly. Not sure if he will play that often. Hope I’m proved wrong.
Talks cheap when he gets into the team and plays we will see if he is the player we need and will need a decent run out, hope the boy is the one to bang in the goals starting against motherwell.