It looks like Kyogo isn’t going to cut it in France, and this isn’t the first time this has happened to one of Celtic’s best players.
Kyogo: Just Not Good Enough?
The easiest answer is simply to say: “Well, Scotland is a pub league, so of course players who excel there won’t cut it in the big leagues.”
Such statements are insulting, based purely on ignorance, and often misplaced notions of superiority.
Most of the time these kind of idiotic ideas are spewed forth by self-declared “shock jocks” looking for attention.
Though I have to say, hearing the likes of Jason Cundy call anyone a footballing failure is a bit like having Hannibal Lecter tell you to cut back on the red meat.
The Reality is Far More Nuanced When You Leave Celtic
Kyogo is the latest in a long line of similarly unfortunate case studies. Even the legendary Shunsuke Nakamura admitted in recent interviews that he never got near the same level of form at Espanyol that he achieved at Celtic.
That’s coming from a guy who played and scored in the Champions League against Manchester United, twice. So, quality isn’t the issue. It’s something else, but what?
Celtic: A Platform for Players in Need
One area where Celtic have excelled in recent years is in taking good players who have fallen on tough times, and rejuvenating them. Look at Joe Hart and Cameron Carter-Vickers. Both totally out of the picture at Tottenham Hotspur despite their obvious ability, and in Joe Hart’s case more than 70 caps for England.
Yet, within weeks of joining Celtic, they both became indispensable members of our squad.
I think, in due course we will see similar with Jota. As he fully assimilates into this new Celtic line-up, with the adulation of our support, he will return to the form that earned him that 25 million pound move to Saudi that, ultimately went so badly wrong.
Inspiration and Love from the Celtic Support
I’m reminded of a quote from the film Braveheart. For all its flaws and inaccuracies, that movie does have some truly excellent, quotable dialogue.
William Wallace says: “If men fear you, they’ll fight for you. If men love you, they’ll die for you.”
That is the unique quality that Celtic have, and which clubs like Tottenham and Rennes lack. As soon as you put on those green and white hoops, you become one of us. Our fans will take you into their hearts, protect you and support you. And that will continue, for as long as we see you making the effort on the park.
From Adulation, to Vilification
When Kyogo played for Celtic, we saw a player who gave his all on the park. That never changed, even when his form dipped and, behind the scenes, it seems he was pushing for a move elsewhere.
“Faithful through and through” isn’t just a song lyric for Celtic fans, it’s an integral part of our cultural identity. That’s not the case at Rennes, or indeed at many other clubs, and maybe that’s one reason why Kyogo is struggling now.
Bad Advice, Bad Decisions
Kyogo, ultimately, made the wrong career choice, based, I suspect, on a combination of poor advice from his agent and external pressure from the vastly over-rated Japan National Team manager Hajime Moriyasu.
I don’t like Moriyasu, I think I’ve made that clear on ACSOM before. I don’t rate him as a manager either. The way he has horrifically mismanaged Kyogo is a testament to this.
Anyway, I digress
The Inverse Effect of Celtic’s Support
Various psychological studies from across history prove that when people are given care, respect and affection, they become more complete human beings, better able to function in their role in society. I think we see this frequently at Celtic.
Would Joe Hart or Cameron Carter-Vickers have done as well if they’d gone to a club like Rangers, with a fanbase founded around triumphalist expectation rather than supportive hope?
I honestly don’t think so.
Anyone who has ever changed jobs and found themselves longing for their old workplace will tell you. Some places just have such a supportive and nurturing atmosphere that nothing and nowhere else can even come close to replacing.
Unfortunately, Kyogo had to learn this the hard way.
Players Don’t Set Their Prices
Another factor is that many of these players, when they leave Celtic, do so for far more money than we initially paid to sign them.
Buying promising, but largely unknown prospects and shaping them into stars before moving them on has become an unfortunate, but essential element in Celtic’s financial success.
However, players don’t decide the fees they move for, that’s on the clubs. However, from a fans perspective, that doesn’t matter.
Managing Expectations
The average Rennes fan probably saw Kyogo underperform in his first couple of games and thought “Wait a minute, how much did we pay for this guy? He’s a dud!”
That’s not Kyogo’s fault, and to be honest, it’s not really that fan’s either.
Rennes qualified for Europe last season, now they seem likely relegation candidates. So, I’d imagine there’s probably quite a bit of toxicity in the air around that club right now, and this new, multi-million pound striker they’ve signed is an easy target.
Celtic Aren’t Immune to this Either
To a lesser extent, we saw this at Celtic during Arne Engels’ first couple of months. Again, he didn’t choose to become Celtic’s record signing, his old club set the price and Celtic chose to pay it.
However, as I said before, when a player shows effort and the right attitude at Celtic, he’ll get there in the end. We can see that now with Engels.
The Power of Positivity
At the end of day, Celtic Park is a positive place to play for the most part. This positivity feeds into the players and in the cases mentioned earlier, drives them to new levels of performance. Smaller stadiums, less engaged fans, and unrealistic expectations negate this effect.
Unfortunately for players like Kyogo, Celtic fans are the exception rather than the rule.
Indeed, the grass is seldom greener than you’ll find at Celtic Park.