Celtic have some high-quality performers in the attacking areas, but the players just aren’t showing it to Brendan Rodgers’ frustration.
During the January transfer window, a few interesting moves were made by the powers that be at Celtic Park, including the return of Jota.
Remember, Celtic didn’t replace Kyogo Furuhashi, and that frustrated, not just the supporters, but the manager also.
But Jota’s comeback after an 18-month absence perhaps lifted the mood, and he hit it off straight away by scoring on his second debut against Motherwell.
In that game, at the start of February, Jota replaced Nicolas Kuhn just after the hour mark, and many were hoping the duo could play together by taking Celtic’s attack to another level.
But, as Celtic’s defeat to St Johnstone on Sunday proved, that simply hasn’t been the case, and someone like Kuhn is in the firing line.
- READ MORE: Three losers and one winner from Celtic’s St Johnstone loss as half-time subs prove one thing
Nicolas Kuhn’s form since Jota’s return to Celtic
Kuhn should be expected to be dropped for the visit of Killie, and the fact that he was subbed at half-time in Perth is proof of that.
But Jim Duffy thinks it’s ‘strange’ that the German’s form has gone off the boil, ever since Jota donned the green and white colours again.
Whether that’s just ‘coincidental’ or not, Duffy feels that same level of performance Kuhn was showing before the New Year just isn’t there now, as he told Clyde 1 Superscoreboard.
“Who knows what he (Kuhn) is worth or what he was worth,” said Duffy. “But, at the start of the season, he was scoring a ton of goals. He was playing really well.
“The strange thing for me. I don’t know if it is just coincidental. But he just doesn’t seem to have quite been near the same player since Jota came back.
“I don’t know whether that’s Jota, he was the fans’ favourite sort of thing, it’s taken the light off him. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Jota has the world on fire at the same level. I know, by his own admission, he said it will be next season until he gets back to his best.
“Whether it’s because they are playing with him there, because when Maeda was playing in the wide area. Kuhn was certainly a lot, lot better, so I don’t know whether it’s the movement of Kyogo, and all these kinds of things. Different players now.
“I do agree, his form has dipped quite significantly. There is absolutely no doubt about that.”
Kuhn’s stats for Celtic since Jota’s return
Of course, there is also the departure of Kyogo, whose movement and ability to open space for teammates was an underrated quality of his game.
Perhaps that has played a bigger role in Kuhn’s form dipping off, or it could just be a case of things are too comfortable for him right now.
Either way, the numbers clearly state that he is lucky to be starting matches for Celtic.
| Kuhn’s games since Jota’s return | Goals | Assists |
| 13 | 2 | 2 |
