Yang Hyun Jun

This is what people need to focus on. I'm not saying he's in the "broken clock" mould but that these games have shown a potential that he's been failing to realise... The question of why concerns anyone who knows the game.

Can these games be the springboard for him to do it consistently? Of course! There's a player there alright. But should they eclipse the failings to be able/choose to do it like that for so long? That's delusion on a grand scale...

 

I think it's fair to say there has been flashes of player that could exist within him.

But in saying that, that doesn't mean he's that type of player that frustrates the fanbase because it is a case 1 game where he is genuinely a world class player, but then plays 6 games where he belongs in Scottish League One.

He's had 30/40 minute flashes in three games I can personally recall with Aberdeen 6-0, and then Raith Rovers and Bayern most recently.

I'm intrigued to see if after a few seasons here can he now develop something. Would imagine he's gonna end the season with some considerable game time (compared to what he's used to)

 

He clearly has certain talents. He’s direct, he seems quite tricky but he’s got absolutely no football brain and after 18 months or so, it’s still the case.

Look, he performed very well when he came on Wednesday and he played well against a bottom end Championship team. It’s great that he’s made impacts in these games but the only positive I see from that is we get to sell him for a decent price. He’s not good enough and I don’t think he ever will be.

He will find his level eventually and I can’t see that being our level. Time to move him on.

 

If some folk are going to make a big deal about one game just being a Championship team, they need to make an equally big deal about the other being Bayern flipping Munich.

 

Look, it's not beyond POSSIBILITY that he's able to find this level consistently, after all he is only 22 and coming to us from an ENTIRELY different place, culture and headspace. But!!! And it's huge, is that there's been so little prior to the last couple of games to suggest he's been progressing...

Would I be delighted if he suddenly surged out of his shell, found confidence and expressed all the talent we've seen tiny flashes of and clearly saw when we scouted him... Abso-*-lutely! As would everyone! But it's gonna take way more, for a decent while to convince me he's good enough! If there's someone I'd trust to find diamonds in the glass it'd be Rodgers, but I'd imagine Yang'll be moving on soon enough...

 

Next 3 months is crucial really. As mentioned before he will probably get some considerable game time within that...starting at the weekend probably in the hope of keeping kuhn maeda fresh.

My biggest criticism is he has had zero end product.....last 2 games has shown otherwise. He needs to maintain that process as he's shown he can take a man or 2 on. But aimlessly.
I really though we should have loaned him out last winter with kwon and again this season.

 

I think the main issue is they are both flashes in single games, whereas he has large numbers of appearances of doing nothing or being rubbish. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy about those good performances and would love it to be a turning point for him. He's just had that many mediocre or bad performances, that these good ones seem like an outlier.

 

Again Brendan spoke about him during the press conference



How impressed were you when Hyunjun Yang came on? Because he pretty much hit the ground running when he came on the pitch?

Yeah, he's done really well. He's looking strong. He's improving. Like you say, he came on and gave us that energy.

The Champions League, in particular, is an arena where you need your squad. The level of physicality required is so big that you need those players that can come on and impact the game for you. I thought he did that really well



Yang maybe goes under the radar a little bit in comparison with your other wingers. Given how well Kuhn and Maeda and you've got Jota coming in now. How good is that for him and his development, having that kind of competition? Is that taking him to another level?

Well, I think that to improve as a player, if you're playing and working and training with better players, then it will do.

I think what Nicolas and Daizen have shown, what we want from wingers and what the possibilities are. If you get into the right positions, you can score goals. But he's done great for us, Yang.

He's obviously a young player still developing and adapting to the culture and everything about the game here and the size of the club. But he's made a valuable contribution for us this season.

When he's been asked to play, he's done well. He knows and he wants to improve his numbers. And you can see in the last few games, he's starting to affect games more.

He's a good guy who's developed really well


Are you starting to think he's got a big future at this club. Maybe six months ago or a year ago, people think he would be a loan deal somewhere.Maybe a crossroads in terms of his pathway here. But you're starting to think now that he has got a big future here?

I think it's just timing. Really, it's what he needs.

Obviously, because of the intensity at which we play, we need to have four or five wingers around for all the games that we play. So it's having guys that can contribute.

It’s having to gauge whether he needs to go out and play and get the games to come back a better player, or whether he will improve being still in here and then playing, maybe not so regular, but getting those opportunities. So that's always the balance. But we can definitely see improvement.

We can see the strength in his game. For him, it's about efficiency. You know, as a Celtic winger, you're going to get lots of opportunities to score, to create goals.

That’s where you get judged. What he also does, he presses the game. He works very, very hard.

I like that side to him

 

Sounds like he's thought the exact same as me and is giving him a shot to adapt to his new life. He was an Ange signing, wasn't he? Probably another factor to remember.

Feels like he's gauging him for a sale/loan... Should be interesting to see how he takes that to the end of the season. No issues at all, if he's showing prospects, of loaning him until Christmas next year, or if he steps up getting him into the mix

 

Brendan has spoken about him a few times this season


Wee bit more of a focus on improving Yangs Game

 

Not sure I've noticed him talking him up as much, but he's definitely never came to my attention as SLATING him at all. In my experience that usually means the player is a good guy behind the scenes and a standout in training... If Brendan thinks he can do something with him there's clearly something there, as he gets the best outta developing players and doesn't tolerate fools lightly... Be brilliant if he gets Yang over a line!

 

Nah he's never had a go at him during any of the press conference

Brendan knows there's a player to be unlocked

 

We Rodgers asked if he had a future here, thought he was quite tentative in his answer..

 

It’s fine to have given the lad a chance, but I just hope we aren’t doing the football equivalent of ‘throwing good money after bad’. A point will come where a final and correct decision will need to be made.

 

This is a little unrelated cause I'm also unsure of Yangs ability to make the correct decisions

But I remember people on here used to say Jamesy Forrest had no footballing intelligence. Baffled me back then, and is even more baffling considering how obviously intelligent he is as a footballer these days.

Here's hoping Yang can follow the same path. Not holding my breath yet though

 

I've got a feeling the next 3/4 months are very important to the answer of that. Probably why he was a bit tentative.

 

I think this is a poor take. Majority of his appearances off the bench and never consistently gets a run of games. Given his age and the fact he's had to learn a new language and move across the globe, he was always going to need more time than most. Can't have been older than 21 when we signed him. Fact is he has a terrific attitude and tries his * off. Brendan clearly sees something there, and he's managed to affect games recently. We need to be encouraging and supporting young guys like Yang not writing them off for not instantly being as good as players like Jota, Maeda and Kuhn.