IT is highly improbable that Celtic’s mid-season recruits Yuki Kobayashi and Alistair Johnston will, regardless of how well the duo fare after they start in Scotland next month, make the same sort of impact as their January signings did last term.
Landing Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Matt O’Riley completely transformed the Parkhead club’s campaign; they promptly went on a seven game winning run in the cinch Premiership, leapfrogged Rangers into top spot and ended up clinching the Scottish title with a game to spare.
Ange Postecoglou’s injury-ravaged side had trailed Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team by six points going into the rescheduled winter shutdown in December.
