Trio unite in praise of Nakamura

The sponsors may have opted for John Hartson as their Man of the Match on Saturday, but it was Shunsuke Nakamura, rather than the two-goal Welshman, who most of the 59,895 crowd left raving about following the thrilling 3-2 win over Hibs.

The same was true of Celtic’s players, with Hartson himself leading the acclaim for a player who's overcome initial concerns about his physical fragility to become an increasingly potent and important creative influence within Gordon Strachan’s new-look Celtic.

“Naka has really settled in brilliantly and is a major player for us now,” said the striker.

“We all knew how talented he was when he arrived, but he is now doing more by chasing back for us to win the ball back when we lose it.

“He is keeping some great players out of the team and that is a sign of how well he is doing.”

Such has been the Japanese midfielder’s form of late that the likes of Didier Agathe and Alan Thompson, to whom Hartson referred by name, can have few complaints at their recent non-involvement.

After all, as Neil Lennon acknowledged, Nakamura has brought a much needed inventive ‘edge’ to Celtic’s play, something missing since Lubomir Moravcik’s departure some three-and-half years ago.

“I really enjoy playing alongside Shunsuke,” said Lennon. “He's got something different about his play; a creative edge and a freshness.

“I suppose any signing is a risk and it would have been difficult for him to adjust. However, he has bedded himself in really well.

“His recent performances against Rangers and Aberdeen were great and he was again on Saturday.

“There is not much of him, but he is a fit boy. He has a personal trainer and he handles the physical side.

“Shunsuke takes a few knocks but he just picks himself up and gets on with it. His attitude is first-class, even in training.”

It's apparent that Nakamura’s work ethic is beginning to earn him just as many admirers as his technical ability, and manager Gordon Strachan certainly made a point of referring to it in his own tribute to Celtic’s Japanese maestro.

“Nakamura has been fantastic,” said the Hoops boss. “He takes a lot of kicks when he's playing and he shows he's not afraid to take the ball on and be brave.

“He provides a lot of assists, he chases back in defensive positions and helps us start counter attacks, is brave, very intelligent and he really tries his heart out.”


Personaly i think since Naka been playing we've played great football+he has got more stronger and his passing is a joy to watch+control of the ball has been outstanding and can find thar killer ball at any moment bhoys+ghirls

 

Naka is a class act and he does'nt complain about the challenges against him. He just gets on with it. Great first touch too.

 

i thought wee mcgeady was the best player on the park followed by scott brown i would absolutely love to see this wee guy in the hoops i doubt it will happen though as ive heard hes a dob

 

good word from lennon.

seems like naka didnt train yesterday since his waist hurts badly because of the tackle by Riordan i hope he will get better soon.

 

nakamuras a wee genuis

 

In my opinion hes been our best player this season so far...hes been a fantastic signing and lets hope he hangs around as his creativity and great passes our wat our big lads up front need

 

Himself and McGeady have become more aggressive when it comes to winning the ball since the start of the season. I don't like players that aren't willing to get stuck in when its needed.

Keep it up Naka

 

Have to laugh at ex players like Craig Burley, Murdo Mcleod,Iain Mc call who through their TV/Radio work have been critical of Naka due to his tackling ability unlike the numerous "water carriers" in the SPL and indeed themselves.
News flash - If tackling ability won World Cups Scotland would be Brazil.

 

well done to wee naka hes been great you saw the difference in the side when him and maloney wasnt on against dunfermline

 

wee naka is pure class!hes doing a great job,love watching him play and he definitly deserves all the praise hes getting,he done really well on saturday

 

naka is quality, finally got a player we can mention in the same breath as the great 1 LUBO

 

Naka is immense, he dictates the game, if he wants it played to a pace to suit him, its played. Great vision. I think he will do much more than lubo. Although we did get lubo late on.

 

Naka is growing in stature and importance for Celtic.
His touch, vision, passing and skill are a breath of fresh air, I love watching him play, hopefully he can go on to be as talismanic as Lubo was, he's certainly come to us at the right age.
Looking forward to seeing him in Europe for us next season.