Nakamura

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Really interested to see how he performed today. Got this view from Strachan below but i expected him to give a bias view like he does.

Anyone see the game - how did you feel he performed??

Celtic boss Gordon Strachan hailed the debut of Shunsuke Nakamura as the best he has seen in a "long, long time" after the 2-0 win over Dundee United.
He said: "There was a lot of pressure on him - not just here but back in his own country where he is a big star.

"The people of Japan will be wanting to see how he got on and you can tell the Japanese people that he did very well.

"That was as good a debut as I've seen in a long, long time. I just said to him enjoy the game and the atmosphere."

Strachan also praised his players for bouncing back from their early exit from Europe.

He continued: "I am happy especially after the game on Tuesday.

"It took a lot out of them mentally and physically chasing the five goals. They put in a lot of effort but they handled that.

"We tried a new shape so we had to do some work on it after that game so no-one was relaxing so I was really pleased with their freshness today."

I seem to remember a certain Juninho putting in a man of the match display against Rangers on his debut. I hope Nakamura doesn't turn out the way Juninho did.

[crowie]

Was listening to the game on Radio Scotland, they raved about him, said he was superb. The co-commentator even said he felt like standing up and giving him a a round of applause when he got subbed a couple of mins to go.

[Parahandy]

When Juninho came he was clearly past his best. Serious injuries had blunted his speed and sharpness and the fact he couldn't get a regular game for Middlesbrough said it all really.

"Sunshine" is a few years younger and from what we read is Japan's No2 player. It's how he'll cope on a heavy pitch at Inverness or Aberdeen on a wild and wet January night that I'm a wee bit concerned about. Paradise in the warm August sunshine is a far cry from that.

Great to see him make a start like that

[crowie]

60,000 hits on the Celtic website from Japan in the week following his signing. The game was beamed live to Japan on Saturday with an estimated audience of 3 million!

Celtic are now looking at beaming their games to an internet site in Japan and charging £9 a shot, expected audience is 10,000 a game.

Also looks like a Far East tour next close season with an expected income of £2m.

They reckon that half of the £8m Celtic lost out on by missing the CL will be recouped between now and next summer simply from Nakamura related income from the Far East.

Btw, was reading about him in last weeks Sunday Herald. His team in Japan had a farewell game for him before he went to Europe. 80,000 attended and a further 50,000 watched on big screens in city centre. The boy certainly has a following out in the Far East.

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Wow - that really is some following isn't it.

Interesting note on the money he will be bringing in from TV rights etc over there. Makes you feel all the more worse knowing how much richer Celtic couldve been if they had made the Champions League.

Any idea why Strachan cooled his interest in Wie? Or whatever his name was?

From reports he seemed to have put in a great display in the friendly he played and i was a bit surprised to see him go.

Maybe Strachan was hoping to get rid of Balde first and then pursue his interest.

And on the Balde note. He has either taking Celtic for a mug, or maybe the board are just mugs. How someone can be offered double their wages and then a month or so later leave to go to a side that are only offering half of what he was currently on is beyond me.

Not the best negotiation skills there. And that clause in his contract that he can go for free is ridiculous and was just asking for trouble.

[crowie]

From what I read Wei will possibly/probably be offered a deal, that may be speeded up with Balde on his way.

As for Balde, well he has made it pretty clear that he wanted to move on. No matter when he moved, unless it was after this summer window, Celtic were going to get nothing for him.

If he had opted to sign for Middlesboro last January it would probably have been on a Bosman this summer. At the very best, from Celtics point of view, we would have got a nominal fee if the deal had went through there and then.

Celtic obviously offered him a new deal, at £28k a week, but he was smart enough to get the "leave for free" in the summer clause in his contract. Basically he got double his wages for the last 6 months of his Celtic career and we still needed him at that point.

Now he has got his move away and we have got nothing for him which is the same as we would have got if he had signed a pre contract with Boro. However if a player is, in the end, so desperate to move then its best for all concerned if he is on his way. In one way it shows that he wants to play in a better standard of football and the wages are not the only thing he is looking at, commendable in a way.

He did a good job for Celtic at times but as many have said, too much of a loose canon to be fully counted upon. His last year detracted from some decent performances though as it seemed obvious he just didn't have his heart in it anymore.

[Bigkegman]

Joke going about last week about Celtics new full back signing - Win One Soon