Reading Kyogo today, as he talked about his European form and why he thinks that was the reason for his exclusion from the Japanese national team for this World Cup, I was struck by his openness, his honesty and his commitment to working harder.
Kyogo has scored 11 goals for us this season.
He’s hardly been a flop.
Some of those goals have been massive ones too, and most fans are pretty happy with how he’s played and were pretty surprised when he didn’t make the international cut.
But the player himself isn’t satisfied, and that speaks volumes about his commitment to excellence. A lot of footballers could have gotten huffy and had a pop at the national coach, or expressed some frustration at the process. Instead, he’s done some self-analysis and vowed to work harder. That should be music to all of our ears.
It confirms that the manager was bang on about getting in the right personality types for this club.
No making excuses, no looking to others, no wondering if people have been hard on him; Kyogo has accepted personal responsibility, looked at the areas of his game where he thinks he can improve and made a vow that he’ll do so.
That’s outstanding, I think.
That’s the sort of personality you want to have at the club, someone who will honestly analyse his faults and redouble his efforts, and you see this right across the first team squad now, players all tuned in to the vision, players doing everything they can to improve.
This is why we’re so successful right now, the mind-set is right, and that’s down to the manager specifically vetting every single footballer we sign to make sure that they have the right stuff not just in terms of their playing ability but in their mentality too.
Kyogo wasn’t at the races in Europe this season, he scored the same amount as goals as Joe Hart did, which was 0, and I think that’s what cost him his place. Scoring in Scotland, is not enough. I’m glad he has noticed that himself, and I’m hoping he uses that as motivation, to write the wrongs. Here’s hoping he answers a few critics in Europe next season, as that is were he will be judged. I am encouraged with his mindset, and he isn’t moping, he wants to be better, so that’s a good sign.
The positive cultural attitude of the Japanese players is worlds apart from the blamers, divers, shirt pullers, hackers and cheats we are so used here, right across Europe and elsewhere (so glad Uruguay went out). The anti-football we have to watch sometimes from so-called good managers and coaches and professional players, the back/sideways passing puke at a lounging pace is ball-bursting and killing the game. Kyogo’s self-analysis is not only admirable but pretty spot on. If only …
Off subject, the Celtic striker being watched around the worldnand perhaps be in demand after the WC may be Maeda, he’s having a stoating good game, ‘never stops’.