CHRIS SUTTON wants to see Giorgos Giakouamkis unleashed after Celtic have failed to be ruthless since the World Cup break.
Chance after chance flashed by the Livingston goal midweek, with Postecoglou promising to make changes after the display. In my starting XI prediction, I said that I expected to see Kyogo start up front for the Hoops, with the big change coming on the wing.[Read Here]
Fans have suddenly started to turn on Kyogo, even after his goal midweek. He’s got 11 goals in 15 league matches so far, that’s a decent return from a striker. For comparison, Giakouamkis only has 6 goals in his 15 appearances.
However, Sutton wrote in the Daily Record he wants to see a change, starting with the St Johnstone match on Christmas Eve. He Wrote:
Giorgios Giakoumakis is the most natural penalty box predator at the club. Perhaps it’s time to let him loose again. It’s a slightly strange situation with the striker. I’ve said before, I’m a fan of Giakoumakis. I wouldn’t be thinking about selling him while the league is there to be won. I’m not party to what’s happening behind the scenes. It’s not for me to suggest a falling out or perhaps something going on in the background. There’s a lot of talk about contracts, the player being unhappy about game time and maybe wanting to leave. He came on in the final eight minutes the other night and there was a cryptic message of an egg timer he posted on social media, which might not have been the smartest thing to do. But I can understand his frustration. Players want to play and he might be entitled to think he deserves more of a crack at it.
But at the same time, we don’t see the training every day. We don’t know if he’s doing enough to win over his manager. What we do know is Postecoglou has earned the trust of the supporters and everyone else. He’s barely put a foot wrong at the club and there’s no way he’s going to cut his nose to spite his face. Postecoglou also has lots of options in the attacking areas. He’s got his main men like Jota and Liel Abada but he’s also got Sead Haksabanovic, Daizen Maeda and James Forrest.
They can all rotate and it doesn’t weaken the side in any way. The big debate is up front. I get why Kyogo is the go-to guy for Postecoglou. He’s got the pace and movement – and he also scored goals.
The one the other night took him to 12 for the season so he’s not exactly slacking. But Giakoumakis does bring something different. It’s a really interesting one for me.
I’m not saying the Greek striker is the answer but if Postecoglou is unhappy about the numbers in the box and attacking the ball in there, he looks like he could provide a straightforward solution.
Celtic have two very goos strikers, who play two different games. It’s all about managing the playing time, and how the rest of the team performs around them. For me, it’s an easy decision to start Kyogo, he just adds that back of footballing quality that Giakoumakis lacks.
