There was a point in the season where you felt Nicolas Kuhn was going to be Celtic’s Player of the Season.
But a certain Daizen Maeda is running away with that award now because he has taken his game to another level since the turn of the year.
When Kyogo Furuhashi left in January, Celtic lost that senior goalscorer and fans were even more annoyed because he wasn’t replaced.
Understandably, you look towards Maeda and Kuhn, as well as summer signing, Adam Idah, to provide the goals, as more onus was put on them.
It has been a mixed time for Idah, whilst Maeda has flown away into the distance and Kuhn doesn’t seem to be himself.
Pat Bonner disagrees with Celtic fans’ interpretation of Nicolas Kuhn’s form
On Sunday, Celtic beat Hibernian to book their ticket into the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.
Kuhn started in his usual position and he was substituted for Idah late in the second half.
Celtic fans are worried about Kuhn because they don’t think he is producing the same performances he showcased at the start of the campaign.
But Pat Bonner, watching on from the stands at Celtic Park, thought differently and felt that he was more ‘productive’, as he told BBC Radio Scotland.
Bonner stated: “Yeah, he has been better against Hibernian, especially in the first half.
“He was tiring in the second half. He gave the ball away a few times, but maybe the mindset of just stepping back and keeping the ball. Rather than going at the defender.
“But, in the first half, I thought he was productive.
Kuhn’s stats in 2025 for Celtic
The goals have still been there from Kuhn, go back to his strike against Bayern Munich, he just isn’t hitting the volume he was scoring at during the first half of the campaign.
That’s what happens sometimes when you set such high bars, especially at a club like Celtic.
But the overall package needs to be looked at and that’s what he has produced all season long and how he has transformed since joining last January.
Kuhn still has every chance to hit 20+ goals for the campaign and that would be a serious return for a player on the flanks.
