Celtic loanee Shin Yamada endured a miserable weekend in Germany as he remained an unused substitute during Preussen Munster’s humiliating 6-0 defeat to Dynamo Dresden.
Despite Yamada’s temporary side being dismantled in a record-breaking fashion in Germany’s second division, the Japanese striker was once again overlooked by manager Alexander Ende.
The result leaves Munster languishing in the relegation zone and raises serious questions about the purpose of Yamada’s loan spell away from Celtic.
Signed under Brendan Rodgers in the summer from Kawasaki Frontale, Yamada is failing to live up to the high standards set by the Japanese stars who successfully crossed those waters in previous years.
While the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate became instant heroes at Paradise, their fellow countryman has struggled to replicate that same excitement or impact.
His move was intended to add a new dimension to the Celtic attack, but he currently looks a shadow of the players who paved the way for the club’s successful scouting mission in the J-League.
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Since moving to the 2. Bundesliga in January, Yamada has struggled to make any meaningful impact, appearing in just five matches without finding the net.
The fact that he remained pinned to the bench while his teammates conceded six goals suggests he has fallen to the bottom of the pecking order, and something is amiss in training and beyond.
For a player who was brought to Celtic for £1.8 million just last summer, this lack of game time in a struggling second-tier side is a major red flag for those sitting in the Celtic boardroom.
If Yamada cannot get onto the pitch during a defensive collapse of this magnitude, his prospects of ever carving out a career at Celtic Park look increasingly slim.
The only saving grace for Yamada is that Celtic have declined with and without him this season, and he isn’t the only signing this term who has fallen flat on his face.
From your Michel-Ange Balikwisha’s to Joel Mvuka’s, they are probably worse off than Yamada.
- Yamada’s games for Preussen Munster: 5
- Starts: 1
- Off the bench: 4
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 0
- Total minutes: 106
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