Preusen Munster have been justifying the January signing of Shin Yamada on loan from Celtic.
Sporting Director Jan Uphues was pushed into the explanation with the on loan striker disappearing from the team sheet of the club sitting bottom of Bundesliga 2.
There is nothing in Yamada’s season that paints Celtic in a competent light.
Yamada had his best ever season in Japan during the 2024 season with 19 goals. Half of his career total.
CELTIC PUT THEIR TRUST IN TISDALE
In January 2025 Paul Tisdale offered Yamada to Brendan Rodgers as the replacement for Kyogo Furuhashi.
Rodgers declined that, in July Tisdale returned to present Rodgers with his new striker.
Three Celtic managers have used the 25-year-old only as a last resort.
Despite a January move to Preusen Munster Yamada finds himself in the same situation- with the side bottom of Bundesliga 2
The Celtic Way has picked up on quotes from Uphues justifying their January arrival from Scotland:
We had to act back then because we had a lot of injuries.
Fortunately, everyone is healthy again now, which has created more competition within the squad.
Shin hasn’t had as many opportunities as he would have wanted recently, but I am certain he will get his chance in the remaining five matches in Bundesliga 2.
Nothing about this transfer makes sense.
If Yamada was any good he would have been playing in Europe or have more than one scoring season behind him.
In 2021 Ange Postecoglou signed four players from the J-League that he knew closely and had positions for.
Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Kyogo gave Celtic great service for around £7m. It never worked out for Yosuke Ideguchi, it happens. A 75% hit rate is outstanding.
Unless you have a specialist like Postecoglou driving deals the chances are that 25-year-olds in the J-League aren’t going to make it at Celtic.
Yamada failed to score a goal at Celtic. Scoring opportunities will be thin on the ground with Preusen Munster.
The only certainty is that Yamada will be returning to Celtic in the summer, he has a contract running until 2029.
It is inevitable that he will return to Japan, it is only a matter of seeing if Celtic can restrict some of the wages that they are committed to.
MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN
On a salary of £10,000 a week Celtic will be committed to around £4m on the Yamada deal.
When that is laid alongside Maik Nawrocki, Luis Palma, Odin Thiago Holm, Hayato Inamura and others the wastage is astonishing.
Perhaps the appointment of a Director of Football to form some sort of plan will be the number one summer priority.
But will someone competent for that role agree to get fitted into a straight-jacket by working alongside Michael Nicholson and Dermot Desmond?
NOTE: Yamada has played for 105 minutes over five appearances for Preusen.
That’s it: no capable DoF would choose to work in the set up where DD
has significant interference.
And you can’t teach old dogs new tricks: he’s not for changing how he operates.
Plus, even the supporters know that the Board has acquired a terrible reputation
for how it conducts transfer business.
(Buying only, ‘cos the Board is great at selling players.)
Sabotage of the highest order…
For whatever reason it may be !
Spite, DD hates the fans and doesnt give a shit if we fail in Scotland and fall off the European map