I like Stan Petrov. He’s a smart guy.
I like former players who have never said a bad word about us in public. I like them when they get a foothold in the media and it is especially pleasing if they are not only clever but articulate.
Yes, I find him impressive.
When someone like that talks, people should listen.
That Sky and other outlets are more likely to put goons on the air instead is telling. Why couldn’t Petrov have spoken, today, about the Jota deal? We might have been spared the painful sight of Boyd trying to sound like he has a spark of intelligence.
Nothing could make that guy seem smart.
Stan said something the other day that I thought summed up how well he reads the game.
He said that our best player next season could well be Reo Hatate.
I could not agree more. I’ve said similar. The strikers and the wide players are great to watch, but in this guy’s first half dozen matches we saw glimpse of a monster talent far greater.
He went off the boil. Of course he did.
He had come out of an exhausting full season in the J League and that will impact players in different ways. Just because Maeda was able to cover every blade of grass … it would have been unfair to expect similar.
But in that first flare of brilliance we saw from Hatate there was plenty to suggest that we were watching somebody very special indeed.
His vision, range of passing, his first touch, his eye for goal … these were all on display, and with a summer behind him in which he can get used to the system and the speed, and on the back of some rest I think he could be the most significant footballer in the country.
At Parkhead, against the club across the city, I thought he was particularly brilliant. But it was actually the following game, at Fir Park, where I thought we saw the player who, if he emerges in he coming campaign, will be utterly dominant.
Typical of Stan Petrov, a midfielder himself who came to Parkhead with a big rep and actually got off to a slow start because we bizarrely played him at right back for a while, to sing the praises of a guy who played in a similar role.
I cannot wait to see what a fully fit, fully integrated, Hatate does in midfield next season and not just in Scotland but in the Champions League too.
I think we have one Hell of a football player on our hands here, and all of Europe is going to know it this time next year.
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When Stan talks Boyd should listen instead of talking with bools and wasps in his mouth.
I am another who is really looking forward to see the impact Hatate makes this season .
As you say the signs were there in his early showings and although his performances tailed off he still played some very telling and productive passes in the later games.
I think the bhoy has great potential and I’m intrigued to see if Ange can get the best out of him .
We have so many possibilities for top players next season. Hatate yes, but I am really also looking forward to seeing Matt O’Reilly, who looks like a real talent to me and possibly the best two footed player since Lubo.
I cannot wait.
Wait a minute. HOLD THE BACK PAGE! Something Stan Petrov said COULD be true.
Come on mate. This is pish and you know it.
It’s not even if it was a slow news day.
Yeah, Hatate does have great potential and he was indeed a revelation in his early games. I am also expecting him to excel in the future based on that evidence, However, I blame Ange for over playing him when it was evident he had ran out of puff. Reo has even said it recently himself that he was fkn knackered so why didn’t Ange rest him when it was obvious to everyone else that he needed a break. We certainly had enough midfielders to cope. We all love Ange, but he is not perfect, just almost,
He will be a better player with a strong defensive midfielder alongside him. If we get Julien off the books, I’d like to see us pick up another young CH too. Defensive CM and a CH. Ideguchi might be the Defensive midfielder answer, I am sure Ange is a little bit more qualified than me to make that call. Ange will know and get what he wants. Big CL carrot.
With a bit of luck on the injury front I cannot wait to see us put out our strongest 11. The Japanese players rested and a good pre-season will be itching to go.
O’Reilly could be a big hit boosted with some international experience.
Ideguchi is the unknown whom, due to the assault from a Ferguson instructed caber thrower, we simply did not get to see. I believe it was Ange who said that he would potentially be the better of the Asian signings.
However the tactic next season I expect is for them to be targeted in a very similar way and for most refs to allow it under the guise of aggressive competition. I expect this to be an injury ridden season hence the importance of squad depth
I would like a fit, injury free Guchi. His performances in Britain and Germany have not been good thus far. A cruciate ligament injury halted his short German stint. Since 2017, Guchi has played 15 times for Japan. In some of those games, Guchi was the match winner.
Today 2 July, one Celtic media source is pushing the Souza and Mmaee story. Why can’t Jordan Larsson play mid-field. If the money is there and Jordan is willing; first go for a proven centre-forward. This would be the biggest surprise… but I’m dreaming.
I don’t expect Celtic fc to buy any more new players right now.
What was the prize money for the Scottish PREMIERSHIP ?