Kyogo furuhashi post on instagram after heart trash Celtic 3-1 and delete it after 5 seconds but fans are too quick to screenshot
Five seconds summed up Kyogo Furuhashi’s problem at Birmingham City to support Celtic theory
Kyogo Furuhashi plundered goals at Celtic but he is still waiting for his first Championship goal for Birmingham City
In the space of five second half seconds against Hull City, the start to Kyogo Furuhashi’s Birmingham City career was summed up.
An incisive run and pass from Patrick Roberts found Kyogo on the edge of Hull’s box where he brilliantly shifted the ball between John Egan’s legs, leaving the defender grounded, to create a goal-scoring chance.
Snatch. Kyogo didn’t have much time to think about it and opted for the left-footed toe-poke. Off it skewed, out for a goal kick. Another chance missed by Blues’ marquee summer signing.
The groans around St Andrew’s were louder than usual when Kyogo sent the ball spinning towards the advertising hoardings.
Excitement and expectation where the Japanese striker is concerned is beginning to turn to disappointment. Maybe Celtic had Kyogo’s best days, as suggested by Daily Record reporter Ryan McDonald when he appeared on our Keep Right On Podcast in June.
The tap-in Kyogo scored against Sheffield United in the first round of the Carabao Cup is the only goal the 30-year-old has managed in his last 22 appearances.
Publicly, Blues manager Chris Davies hasn’t appeared worried. Repeating his stock answer to a question about Kyogo’s form before the defeat to Hull, Davies said: “I’ve always said he just gets lots of chances. He’s been sharp in training over this last week with lots of finishes and that’s a good sign. You can see that it’s coming.
“With Kyogo, the fact he always gets chances is the encouraging part and I know he can score because I’ve seen the hundreds he has scored.
He’s got to continue and believe in himself like I believe in him, and I know he’ll come good.”
The problem is, with each miscued finish and big chance missed – a league-leading six in the Championship now – the belief seeps out of a St Andrew’s crowd that has given Kyogo plenty of leeway.
Calls for Kyogo to start will soon quieten down because, quite simply, strikers are judged on goals, not the number of runs they make nor the chances they create for themselves.
Unless Kyogo rediscovers his scoring touch quickly, those who have supported the striker will start to wonder whether Blues’ biggest summer outlay could have been invested elsewhere.
Handing Kyogo a three-year contract on the strength of his work at Celtic, not his output for previous employers Rennes, was always going to be a risk. Thus far, the gamble hasn’t paid off.
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