Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
COMING FOUR YOU..
Blues-basher Kyogo aiming for record-equalling goal
BY
ANGE POSTECOGLOU last night fired a warning to Rangers that Kyogo is laser focused on continuing to ruin the Ibrox side’s season.
The Japanese star will become the first Hoops player to score in four consecutive Old Firm clashes since John Collins 29 years ago and his boss insists the striker has pulled the blinkers down on speculation over a possible summer exit.
Five goals in five games against the Light Blues so far in this campaign has alerted the likes of Crystal Palace with several other English clubs now placing the 28-year-old on their radar.
But Postecoglou is adamant his talisman’s priority is shooting his side into a Scottish Cup Final when they meet their old foes this afternoon. He said: “I know what Kyogo is like. If he is thinking about anything other than Sunday I would be very very surprised.
“That’s the way we’ve got to do things. As I’ve said all along, my role in that is to keep preparing this team and those players to be the best they can be.
“Whatever comes along, you deal with it and you use it as an opportunity to continue what you have started.
“I don’t think about whether players will be here or not be here, what I look it is that they are here right now. And as long as they are here, and hopefully they are here for a very long time, I will push them to be the best they can be and they will get the most out of their football career.” Rangers boss Michael Beale has also hailed Furuhashi as the Premiership’s best player.
And he’s adamant that if Rangers had a front-man as clinical as Kyogo, the Ibrox men would be a lot closer to their city rivals in the title race.
His top scorer in the Premiership is defender James Tavernier, with main strikers Antonio Colak and Alfredo Morelos getting 13 and 11, respectively.
Beale said: “I don’t remember Kyogo missing a chance (against us). I do remember us having opportunities (against Celtic) that we missed.
“Over the season, he’s probably been the most outstanding player in the league and that will probably be shown at the end..
“They have won two competitions and he has been the outstanding player.
“He has taken his chances. There is a stat on how we’ve had the most shots and the most shots on target.
“We’re not a million miles away from Celtic either when it comes to clean sheets.
“But a clinical number nine is one the reasons why Celtic have done well this season. He’s obviously an excellent player.”
Treble chasing Celtic are favourites to progress at the national stadium today but Postecoglou was at pains to point out their season remains a work in progress.
He said: “We are in the midst of still having to achieve things… We have a cup semi-final this weekend and we still haven’t won the league.
“We are in a great position but until those things are done you don’t want to look beyond that.
“We want to get the maximum out of the season that is before us,” he added.
“There will be a time for that. But certainly I’m looking forward to the end of this season, hopefully finishing strongly and bringing more success to the club.”