Discussions about the sort of legacy Giorgios Giakoumakis leaves behind him at Celtic are understandable in a sense, but in other ways kind of absurd.
When you think about a legacy you are essentially talking about a long-term place in the history books, something to stand the test of time. He gave us one half of a full campaign, in which he was fit enough to be playing and scoring goals.
His impact this season was important, but not epochal.
I write this as a someone who liked the big guy as a player.
I write this as someone who thought he should have stayed and done what it was clearly in his capabilities to do; become someone worthy of that word. He left with me still a little baffled as to what he was thinking about.
Was it really all about money with this guy or did the need to play every week matter more?
Ange was right about that; if you want to be guaranteed a place in a starting eleven there are clubs which will accommodate that.
But unless you’re an elite player of a particularly high standard – and we’re talking the true elites here – no major club, including Celtic, will sign you. Perhaps there would have been more interest in him if he wasn’t so clear on that demand.
But if he hadn’t been so clear on that demand there would have been no need for Celtic to move him on either, would there?
Unless it was just about money.
He left us having a played just over fifty games; with a goal every two matches he could have joined the Hundred Goals club in a handful of seasons and that would have been something worth talking about.
As it is, I am sad to see him go but that feeling is tinged with an awful lot of frustration and even a little anger. He will forever be a “what might have been”, just as Dembele was.
He’s gone now James, let it go, he will not be remembered for very long, so let’s not dwell on it, it’s over and done, finito.
You had an opinion of him that I’m quite sure was not shared by too many in the Celtic support.
He was clumsy and first touch was awful.
He fell like a wee kid and screamed in pain at the slightest touch.
Finally not sure about his rugby style tackle in the semi v Killie and the reason for it?
At no time did I think he was anything like the player you described but he did score a few vital goals that turned one into three points so hope he is happy with his decision.
He came, he saw, he scored some goals, his job description, and ultimately that’s it. Good luck to the lad and I hope he can create a “legacy” for himself at Atlanta. Fair point Johnny, he’s gone and is no longer our concern. Hope he’s happy.
In a nutshell Carthorse end of .
can’t disagree within of the comments so far. What I can see is a sense of frustration in us all that he didn’t fully live up to his own hype. Think he made his mind up to quit when it was made clear to him by Ange that he wasn’t going to be first name on the team sheet. I liked the big guy also and wish him well but not enough of a team player IMHO.
He helped last season thanks has gone now for a bigger wedge good luck to him it’s a short life in football .
Whilst he clearly thinks he’s better than he is, and his public postings of his annoyance at lack of game were totally lacking in respect and stupid at best meaning he had to go, I do have some sympathy with him regarding lack of game time viz-a-viz Ange’s comments regarding starting spots etc.
The reality is Joe Hart, CCV, Starfelt, CalMac and Kyogo are guaranteed starters whenever they are fit regardless of form! Of that list I’d say only CCV and CalMac actually justify that reality. Even Kyogo as good as he is has had spells when he’s been way off it yet Ange continued to start him and only bring GG on with maybe 10-15mins to go and even if he scored in that short time he would be back on the bench the following game particularly if the next game was in Europe – let’s not forget Kyogo didn’t score in Europe this season despite starting 5 of the 6 games (GG did score a goal having only started in 2!) GG was the starter in ONLY FOUR of the 19 league games he was fit to play c/f Kyogo who has started 21 of 25 league games – if that’s not effectively a guaranteed starting spot I don’t know what is – Ange is being slightly disingenuous saying no-one is guaranteed a starting spot at Celtic.
Having said all that, life goes on, GG is gone and we appear to have acquired a fitter, faster, hungrier player in Oh – hopefully he can be a true alternative option to Kyogo as we need competition there both numerically but also in different styles and strengths.