Nicolas Kuhn is starting to show how good he is for Celtic after two great games in the Scottish Premiership against Kilmarnock and Hibernian.
When the German winger arrived in January, there was a lot of excitement about how he might help. It was too early for him to make an impact under Brendan Rodgers, though, because of problems with his tooth surgery.
In any case, his performance against Manchester City in the preseason set the tone for a good start to the new season. Kuhn has lived up to the hype by scoring two goals and setting up another in his first two games.
The former Rapid Vienna player has made a good case to be first-choice on the right side of attack, and he has formed an exciting partnership with Alistair Johnston, who helps him out from deep.
Now, the Canadian defender has said what he thinks about Kuhn and how, because he is so creative and sneaky, he is becoming a feared figure.
Alistair Johnston talks about how Nicolas Kuhn has helped Celtic.
Kuhn has fit in well with the rest of the Celtic team, and Johnston thinks he will be a star player this year under Brendan Rodgers.
“Nic, he’s actually a pretty quiet person, but he likes to laugh, and he’s a good lad,” he told the Daily Record. He likes being a part of it. He’s in good relationships with a few guys, Yang included. It’s funny to watch them talk to each other in broken English. But things like that are nice to see, and they do make a difference on the field. You can see it when one player scores—they celebrate for the other player and other things.
He later said, “I think he’s definitely more at ease in his role now.” He is getting it, and he is gaining confidence. These changes will help him be the player he is and understand that we got him for the skills he brings to the team. He’s not scared to show that.
“You can see how direct he is and how sure he is with the ball.” You can’t just “touch and lend” it to him. He’s now driving it and attacking people. He’s also very hard to protect against because he can go inside, burn you on the outside, and step on your right foot. He is making very dangerous threats.
“I think he’s really getting it now when it comes to reading winger cues and getting in at the back post. He’s really stepped it up, and I think that’s going to be the level he shows all year.
Nicolas Kuhn continues to make Celtic feel good.
It’s clear from Kuhn’s recent play how important it is to have a full pre-season. Last season, he came in during a tough time because the team was in a tight race for the title, so there was a lot of pressure on him to do well.
It didn’t help his case that he lost weight after having teeth work done. But he is now enjoying the benefits of running without having to worry about other things getting in the way of his growth.
Now that he’s fully fit, he looks sharp and sure of himself in his job, driving at defenders and making space for himself and his teammates.
You have the exciting feeling that he can still get better. If he can just a little bit improve his final result, he could have a great season in the Scottish Premier League.
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