Before the international break, Celtic defeated St Johnstone 3-1, with one of the major highlights being Kyogo Furuhashi returning to his brilliant form.
The Japanese sensation easily defeated the Perth team, scoring the first goal and setting up Nicolas Kuhn for the second.
Kyogo’s level of involvement was a major factor in Celtic’s team improvement. This term, he has occasionally appeared distant from his colleagues and alone as the games have gone by.
Chris Sutton believes he has more to give in the final games of the season, particularly with his countryman Reo Hatate back in the starting lineup.
After participating in a bounce game during the week and returning to group training at Lennoxtown, the midfield player is getting closer to making a Celtic comeback.
The outspoken pundit saw that he was moving electrically off the ball against Craig Levein’s team and that, once again, he is producing runs that Hatate can utilise far more effectively than other choices.
Chris Sutton on the Celtic connection between Kyogo and Hatate
Yogo Furuhashi looked more like himself last weekend in the victory over Craig Levein’s team, and Sutton [Daily Record] stated: “He would greatly benefit from his countryman being in the side again.”
“I witnessed a move in that St Johnstone game where the striker broke through the visiting team’s defence with a superb run from deep.
“Kyogo would have had plenty of time to get past the custodian and choose his position if Tomoki Iwata had seen the pass. Though Hatate would have seen it with his last coin, Celtic was unfortunate not to notice it.
It’s just a reality, not an attempt to be harsh on Iwata. If Hatate and McGregor are playing together once more, Celtics’ play will pick up speed and fluidity.
Surprisingly, this season, Kyogo and Hatate have only shared the pitch for more than 45 minutes six times while wearing Celtic jerseys. All four of those instances in the league ended in wins.
Last season, they played together significantly more frequently, which led to five joint goal participations, Hatate’s most fruitful combination of his career aside from Kaoru Mitoma.
Reuniting them, getting them well, motivated, and joyful, might be the kind of spark that propels Celtic towards the kind of reliable play that is required over the next nine or ten games.
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