Kyogo hasn't lost Celtic mojo as Ange Postecoglou shuts down claims star is going off the boil

It's one of the most famous grins in Scottish football but on Tuesday night it was more of a grimace.

Kyogo Furuhashi has lit up the game in this county but the smiling assassin has had more of a frown of late.The free header he fluffed before half-time in Tuesday’s Champions League defeat to RB Leipzig summed up a frustrating night for the Japan star and there were a few other moments when things just didn’t quite go his way.

It was always going to be impossible to maintain the incredible form of last season and the sensational start to this one. For a while it seemed everything he touched turned to goal and resulted in the pearly whites coming out again. But after a sensational spell of six goals in four games back in August, it’s been just one goal in seven since and the fans are desperate to see their hero’s frown turned upside down.

Kyogo doesn’t need to worry about his gaffer getting cross though. Ange Postecoglou shot down any suggestion the ace has gone off the boil and he’s convinced it’s only a matter of time before his output is smiles better again.

The Hoops boss said: “I don’t think people can be too harsh on him. Last week he set up Jota for a fantastic goal that he created. Champions League goals are hard to come by but I don’t think he has been any less threatening.

“He is still getting into good positions and he has been unlucky on a couple of occasions and I still think he really causes teams problems.

“Domestically we have had to juggle him a bit. People forget he was in great form and then hurt his shoulder which kept him out for a few weeks so he was a little bit disrupted. He is still a player who does very well for us.”

It’s not just Kyogo that Postecoglou has found himself defending in recent