Pundit says Celtic man Kyogo Furuhashi is ‘not hitting the form’ he is capable of under Rodgers

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Celtic have struggled to replicate the incredible intensity they showed at times last campaign since Brendan Rodgers returned last summer.

That is not to say that it hasn’t been there at all; however, the Bhoys haven’t been able to consistently blow teams out of the water over the course of 2023/24, with their best winning streak standing at six games on the bounce.

Rodgers’ side are a different proposition to last season’s treble-winning outfit. Stylistically, there is a firmer emphasis on possession-based football rather than operating in a high-octane framework focusing on inverted full-backs and isolating wingers one-on-one with opposition defenders.

Nevertheless, there is more than one way to set up a side, and Celtic are firmly in the race to win the Scottish Premiership title, even if some star players have failed to recapture their sparkling form of 2022/23.

Kyogo Furuhashi would probably fall into that category in the eyes of some, though he still possesses match-winning quality on the big occasion, as evidenced by his derby-winning heroics at Ibrox and Parkhead.

At the time of writing, the 29-year-old has netted 11 times in 32 appearances across all competitions [Transfermarkt].

The Nara-born striker ended the previous campaign with 34 goals, though there have been questions over his role during Rodgers’s tenure.

Pundit says Kyogo Furuhashi isn’t hitting his best Celtic form

Barry Ferguson probably isn’t a household name at Parkhead due to his connection with the other side of the city; however, he is a regular contributor within Scottish footballing media circles.

Speaking about Furuhashi’s form following Saturday’s draw in Aberdeen, the 46-year-old has explained his belief that the Japanese forward is going through a tough period on the field.

Ferguson stated [Go Radio]: “Watching the game, they should have been out of sight in the first half with the amount of chances on a different day.

“Kyogo, he’s just off it a wee bit. Naturally, that happens. You go through periods as a centre-forward. He’s not hitting the form that everybody is used to.”

It is true that Furuhashi is having a little trouble influencing matches of late; nevertheless, he has taken 62 shots in total this campaign league-wise, proving that he can still move into advantageous offensive positions [Fotmob].

In his case, hopefully, the best is yet to come from the former Vissel Kobe man. Celtic fans will be desperate for their talisman to hit form as the title run-in takes shape.