TALKING A GOOD GAME
Jota is learning to speak Japanese so his on-field understanding with Kyogo becomes even better
SOME connections can be formed without words but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good to talk. Just ask Jota. On Tuesday afternoon, his superb link-up with Kyogo Furuhashi was down to pure footballing instinct. A little glance forward spotted Furuhashi making a typically clever run off the shoulder of a Ferencvaros defender.
Jota’s sublime, long-range pass was then matched by the Japanese striker’s first touch. One cool finish later and Celtic were finally up and running in Europa League Group G.
It was a brilliant goal based on perfect understanding between two players. Off the pitch, though, that becomes a little more complicated.
While the Portuguese winger has arrived in Glasgow with near-flawless English, such linguistic skill is still a work in progress for Furuhashi.
Jota is determined to help him out. So much so, in fact, that the 22-year-old Benfica loanee has vowed to pick up some Japanese to provide Furuhashi with conversation as well as assists.
Asked about their relationship, Jota said: ‘Well, unfortunately, Kyogo doesn’t speak English, so it’s been quite difficult.
‘Actually, it’s funny because I said to Kyogo if he didn’t learn English then it’s no worries because I will try to learn some Japanese so we can talk.
‘I will definitely go to learn some Japanese to speak with him but I think the most important thing is, inside the pitch, we are starting to get to know each other.
‘Game after game, we are going to get better. His movements are unbelievable. He’s one of the best players I’ve seen doing movements.
‘I saw his move and I wanted to do the pass. It was good because he scored. He did a really good reception.’
Jota had scored in Celtic’s two previous outings — back-to-back away Premiership wins over Aberdeen and Motherwell — but was just as happy to play the role of provider. He was also involved in the lead-up to the David Turnbull swipe-andmiss that forced the late own goal in a 2-0 success over the Hungarians.
‘The team winning is the most important thing,’ he continued. ‘If I can contribute with assists or goals, it’s really good. I’m really happy to see my team-mates score.’
The growing bond between Jota and Furuhashi was just one example of the harmony shown by Celtic in a restorative European display.
Opening the section with a 4-3 defeat to Real Betis displayed both the good and bad of Postecoglou’s squad. Scintillating attacking football earned a two-goal lead before all that hard work was undone by porous defending.
Being hammered 4-0 at home by Bayer Leverkusen was then a lesson both in the different levels of continental football and the cost of not taking chances when they arrive.
On Monday, Postecoglou was clear that he wasn’t about to shift from his front-foot philosophy in the hope of nicking the odd Europa League result. The conviction was admirable, but his side needed to put together a more complete performance to back up those words. One duly followed. Ferencvaros may not be from the top tier of European clubs. Yet no-one at Parkhead needed reminding of how they sank Celtic’s Champions League hopes last season. Callum McGregor was the sole member of that side to again start on Tuesday, a fact which underlines the overhaul under Postecoglou. Slowly but surely, Jota sees signs of it coming together. ‘That’s something very important because we are all new,’ he argued. ‘We didn’t know each other and it’s crucial that we learn throughout the games. ‘Like a family, we need to stick together and keep doing our thing. We had been looking for something like this (win over Ferencvaros). We had two games with negative results (in the group) and we wanted to do something good.
‘I think we did very well and now we are looking to the next games.
‘The gaffer wants the best from everyone. We are definitely listening to him and the things he has to teach us. The process has been good.’
Postecoglou felt Celtic had a duty to respond to the 50,427 crowd that filled Parkhead despite an awkward 3.30pm kick-off time caused by, among other factors, the COP26 UN climate conference being staged in Glasgow.
‘I would like for every football fan just to experience a game in Celtic Park,’ smiled Jota. ‘I’m telling this to my family and my friends because it is definitely something different.
‘You feel things about football that you don’t feel in other places. The atmosphere on Tuesday spoke for itself. It’s an afternoon, most people have to work, and the stadium is full. They have to come from their jobs or they are skipping, I don’t know! They make the effort to come to our games and enjoy them and we are grateful.’
Now, the on-field challenge for Celtic is to do it all again. Premiership games against St Johnstone, Hibs and Livingston are next up before Postecoglou’s side head to Budapest on November 4.
Winning that one would seal at least a Conference League play-off — which comes with third place — and give them a fighting chance of closing in on the top two.
Asked if he believed they could repeat Tuesday’s win, Jota said: ‘For sure. All the games are different, though, and we will try to learn as much as possible from this game and try to fix what we didn’t do so good.
‘In Tuesday’s match, Ferencvaros were a bit more compact in the first half. We knew what we had to do. We had to stick with our ideas, with our process.
‘Some guys were getting tired and we had to fill the spaces they left for us. We took advantage and scored, so it was really good.’