ANGE POSTECOGLOU has faced criticism over the decision to introduce Kyogo Furuhashi to Thursday night’s dead-rubber Europa League game. Ajeti was injured in the first half resulting in Kyogo being brought on to the field, who later got injured.
The injury leaves Celtic with no fit first-team strikers, giving Ange a selection headache for the upcoming games. In Chris Sutton’s weekly column in the Daily Record he has stood by Ange, writing;
“Ange Postecoglou won’t admit it in public but deep down he’ll know it was a mistake to throw Kyogo Furuhashi into Thursday’s dead rubber.
“He will have been kicking himself when the striker pulled up holding his hamstring.
“But that doesn’t mean that he should be battered for doing it.
“It was the wrong call and it backfired. I get why the fans will all be thinking the same.
“It was a mistake – but Postecoglou hasn’t made many of them.
“You have to admire his attitude though. It’s all or nothing with the Celtic manager and no one can say it’s not exciting.
“He made a big call the other night – but he had honourable intentions. Call it an honest mistake, if you like.
“Kyogo getting injured at some point was inevitable given the amount of football he’s played in the last nine or 10 months.
“He could have limped off inside the first five minutes against Motherwell tomorrow.
“I totally get the notion the Well match is more important and Kyogo should not have been risked but Postecoglou would have looked at his bench and wondered what other choice did he have.
“He could have limped off inside the first five minutes against Motherwell tomorrow.
“I totally get the notion the Well match is more important and Kyogo should not have been risked but Postecoglou would have looked at his bench and wondered what other choice did he have.”
I, like Chris Sutton, believe Ange shouldn’t receive backlash for his decision. His other option was Mikey Johnston, and if he was to get injured that would leave Celtic with no natural left-winger.
Ange was in a no-win situation, he couldn’t foresee that Kyogo would limp off the pitch. Celtic will have to find a solution and kick on with their season without letting their momentum drop.
Let’s not fool ourselves, it was nothing short of a horrendous decision to put Kyogo, our only fit striker, onto the park on Thursday.
But even more worrying is when the man who made the massive mistake comments afterwards that he has “no regrets” at the decision to field him!
A man in his position who does not accept he got it wrong is a serious concern.
Everyone else’s fault?
No Ange! This is 100% on your shoulders! Man up!
Ange absolutely did not utter the words “no regrets”, that was the headline in one of the rags. He did say that “managers have to make the difficult decisions and have to live with them, and the sleepless nights”. He is not one to shirk responsibility, like others before him. He rolled the dice putting Kyogo on, that’s clear, but what were the chances of losing 2 strikers to injury, never mind the same injury, in the same game.