Giorgos Giakoumakis has stepped up at just the right time for Celtic. With two goals in his last two matches, both instinctive striker’s goals against Alloa in the Scottish Cup and then that inventive back-heel finish against Hearts at Tynecastle, the striker is stepping into the void left by Kyogo Furuhashi’s ongoing hamstring injury and Daizen Maeda’s international call up by Japan.
And his form isn’t going unnoticed by a top-class striker who used to score big goals in big games for Celtic.
When it comes to Giorgos Giakoumakis, former Celt Chris Sutton, writing in his Daily Record column today, likes what he sees, and he is full of praise for a player he feels has been unlucky with injuries and a slow start to life at Celtic.
‘We’re finally starting to see what Giorgos Giakoumakis brings to the party – and it’s looking encouraging. It’s been a tough beginning for him at Celtic and he’s not had much luck. He had issues when he arrived, he got injured in the warm up against Raith Rovers and then he missed the penalty against Livingston.
It was the worst possible start for him and some people were a bit too quick to write him off. This is a player who scored a ton of goals in Holland, and it wasn’t for a team that would have been dominating play and creating lots of chances.
There’s no doubt he had a rotten start in Scotland but fair play to him. Giakoumakis has got himself fit and he looks determined to make an impact.”
And Sutton feels Giakoumakis brings something different to the Celtic frontline as he thinks the ability to do bring strength and physicality offers more options to Celtic and that could be important, not just now but as the season progresses.
“His movement was good and the way he stuck them away was impressive. It’s his all-round game I like though. He brings Celtic something different. He’s more physical and uses his body well, holding up the ball.
We know about the speed and movement of Kyogo and Daizen Maeda but Giakoumakis brings a different dimension to the side. They need that. It’s important to mix it up at times and find other ways to win. The pacey strikers can play on the shoulder but it’s good to be able to fire a ball in to the box and know there is a forward who is going to attack it.
It’s good to have a bit of height in both boxes as well as Celtic have looked a bit susceptible at set pieces – while not looking like scoring from their own set plays in general. There is a big opportunity for Giakoumakis now with Kyogo seemingly out long term and he could become a key player for Celtic after being a forgotten man a few months ago.”
For Giorgos Giakoumakis there must be a lot of confidence to be taken from both returning to the team and grabbing his opportunity when it came, and to be given the Chris Sutton seal of approval is no mean feat either, after all he’s not an easy man to please and he doesn’t dish out praise where it’s not warranted.
Giakoumakis will likely lead the line today against Dundee United at Celtic Park. Perform well and a starting place in the derby is there for the taking and a game that can make heroes of players in just 90 minutes. If he does grab his opportunity to shine it would be quite the turnaround for the Greek striker who hasn’t had his troubles to seek.
Niall J
