Earlier on, I said that we might learn that we’re not entirely reliant on the Japanese Bhoy sooner than folks think; might that be as early as this weekend?
If you were Ange Postecoglou, you would be tempted to go into this game full blast with the strongest team out. Of course you would.
But if you wanted to throw a curveball, and in recognition of the travel and the distance for Kyogo and others, as well as catching out the opposition, would you be tempted to leave some of the internationals on the bench?
Fans have been dying to see Giakoumakis. The player must be chomping at the bit, dying to get out there on the pitch and show us all what he can do. And I suspect that Ange himself must be dying to unleash him and show us all what he paid big money for.
The Greek has a physicality which suggests that he might do well in a blood and thunder battle at Motherwell. This seems like a good time to throw him in, when the opposition least expects it and when the manager can give some of the regulars a break due to their international commitments. The decision would be a dangerous one, but it might pay off.
Certainly, I think we have to shatter the dangerous perception that we are over-dependent on the Japanese striker. He is already being targeted for some rough treatment on and off the park; if we look as if we need him to win that’s only going to get worse.
We have last season’s top scorer in Holland. He can’t be a bad footballer. He has to have something about his game, and he accomplished that, let’s not forget, in a team which was almost always on the back foot. Here he’s at an attacking powerhouse.
Don’t be surprised if this is something the boss opts for at the weekend. It’s a sensible proposition, and one that gives us that all important advantage of options on the bench. The big man is due a chance to show us what he can do.