A few times in the last few weeks, I’ve been at great pains to point out one of the most frightening statistics about our team this season; the low number of goals scored across our forward line, due to injuries mostly but also the slow start from our big Greek.
He finished the top scorer, but it took him a while to find his feet.
Kyogo hit the ground running and continued to score whenever he was available for selection.
Next season, Giakoumakis will be ready.
Kyogo will be fitter and better prepared for the Scottish game.
He has spoken to the media about his first campaign at our club and his words should strike terror into the opposition.
He feels his best is still in front of him.
This gels perfectly with what I’ve been writing; we haven’t seen anywhere near the best these players have to offer yet. Celtic will be a far more formidable unit next season than they were in this one, and in this one we went on a 32 match unbeaten run in the league.
Kyogo is the guy who posted that remarkable minutes per goals ratio, which put him far and away the most lethal finisher in the league. His goals in Europe and in the League Cup Final reveal him to be a big game player who thrives under pressure.
Even Tom English – no friend of this club as I’m sure you’ll agree – marvelled at the prospect of a fully fit Kyogo next season, and suggested that other clubs should fear the prospect of it. He is right.
Now that the player is settled and the manager has those first successes under his belt, this team will improve by leaps and bounds.
And for all the clubs that couldn’t stop us this year, that should be a sobering thought.
Sorry James your wrong. It was the Greek who posted the best goal to mins ratio.
He scored a goal every 81mins in the league
Whilst I totally agree that the best is still to come from Kyogo and GG and with a month plus rest and then a full pre-season under their belts there is no doubt they will be a handful for all teams next year, I will keep my full excitement in check until either (or ideally both) score their first goal against Rangers. Neither scored last year despite each playing in 3 matches against them and we’ve just lost Rogic who’s scored 6 goals against them leaving McGregor as our top scorer vs them. Whilst scoring goals against Rangers, in and of itself, isn’t the be all and end all, the reality is those are the biggest and most important games in the league and will continue to be now that Rangers are a genuine threat to us. Thus we need guaranteed goal scorers in those games a la Larsson, Hartson, Sutton, Dembele, Edouard, Griffiths, Hooper etc – just consider that had THEY won the game at Ibrox 2-1 rather than us (and all scores thereafter remained the same) they would be Champions!!
Our strikers potential, and I’m adding Maeda to the main two, in a now settled team is a dynamic, mouth watering prospect for all of us to look forward to.
The problem i see James is fitting Kyogo and Giakoumakis into the same team. Ange won’t change his system which would mean Kyogo playing wide. They may have to share game time.
I think Kyogo and Giako will be a match made in paradise.
In case you haven’t noticed Jim, we don’t play with 2 strikers, which means one has to play wide. Now is Kyogo as effective wide because Giakoumakis can’t play there. So both players are showing their effectiveness in the same position. Again, in case you haven’t noticed, when both were available Ange didn’t try and play them together or as 2 strikers. Ange has players fit into a system not a system that fits for the players. I definitely don’t see a 442 being utilized next season.