As quite a bit of time has now passed since the end of the season, I feel like we’ve all had a bit of time to sit back and reflect on our 2024 campaign. Or actually, maybe like me you decided to try not to think about it at all, which I feel was by far the safer thing to do. Here is the latest end of season post and it’s part 1 of how I feel our players’ years went, from Sung-Ryong to Oshima. Part 2 and part 3 here will be coming soon here, which is also where you can find all of the end of season posts for this year.
1. Sung-Ryong JUNG (GK)
AP 45 M 4050 G 0 AS 0 Y 3 YY 0 R 0
When I was asked to nominate a player of the season by the J Talk Podcast Sung-Ryong was one of the three names I came up with, and was definitely at least in the top two of those three. Unsurprisingly, they didn’t go with my suggestion as it would seem slightly absurd to say your keeper was your best player in a season where, for the most part, you’d conceded goals for fun. But I think it was more a case of what might have been if he hadn’t been there. In previous seasons Oniki took the smallest mistake from SY as an opportunity to try to move him on and promote the second keeper, and he did this once again in 2024. But this only served to prove that SY was our best option and he won his place back after not very long. I’m not sure what the future holds for him. I don’t think we have someone who can take his place at the moment. But at the same time he did write a kind of emotional piece for the club website towards the end of the season which felt like it was hinting slightly at an end to his time with us. Apparently his family has gone back to Korea so this also perhaps suggests he won’t be with us much longer. But right now, I’d be more than happy to have him as our number one again next year, particularly as he could help with the development of the young South Korean keeper who we signed, who still hasn’t made it on to our website’s players list, (which explains why I haven’t written his name here…). Come on SY and stay another year, please!
2. Kota TAKAI (DF)
AP 31 M 2324 G 2 AS 1 Y 6 YY 0 R 0
Quite a mixed season for Takai. He’s made significant breakthroughs, both with us and with the national team. But I can’t help but feel that sometimes it’s a case of two steps forward and one step back with him at the moment. Clearly he has a bright future, but every time he got on a roll for us in 2024 he then went on to drop an absolute clanger in a subsequent match. He’s great on the ball and at defending but perhaps his concentration or decision making lets him down at times. I imagine we won’t get to see him play for much longer as already the vultures are circling. Whether his departure comes before next season or next summer, I think we all know it’s going to happen sooner rather than later.
3. Takuma OMINAMI (DF)
AP 32 M 2511 G 1 AS 1 Y 3 YY 0 R 0
A surprise summer departure, when he went off on loan to Belgium. Seems like he’s done well there but that’s not the point of this post. I liked Ominami a lot as he was always a 100% player. Definitely wasn’t the best centre back we’ve had in recent years and made the occasional mistake but did creditably in difficult circumstances. I always thought he looked good at right back but only really got the chance to play there on a few occasions. I can’t imagine he will be returning to us as he seems to be playing a decent amount with Leuven so I wish him luck with his career going forward.
4. JESIEL (DF)
AP 26 M 1329 G 1 AS 0 Y 3 YY 0 R 0
Another season blighted by injuries which makes it all the more surprising that he was involved in 26 games for us. I guess the fact that he only played 1329 minutes in the season shows that it was by no means a complete season for him. In the past I criticised Oniki for playing Jesiel to breaking point when he could easily have been subbed. This definitely happened again in 2024 and that hasn’t helped him. At the same time, I wonder if his multiple injuries are perhaps catching up with him as he often looked quite uncomfortable when he was playing. Still an important player for us, but I have the feeling that it’s unlikely we’ll see him as a regular in the future, so maybe he might decide he wants to move on.
5. Asahi SASAKI (DF)
AP 51 M 4132 G 2 AS 2 Y 8 YY 0 R 0
Another nomination for my player of the season and once again another confusing one for outsiders as he’s a defender and we’ve been terrible in defence. Sasaki played all across the back four in 2024. I wish he’d had more time at left back as I think this is his best position as he does well going forward. But perhaps others disagree. Played a lot of games for us in 2024. I’m not sure he’s the solution at centre back on a regular basis but there are rumours that he might be leaving us anyway and joining up with Oniki again at Kashima. It will be sad if he does this and I really want to see him with us next year, but given that Miura would be competing with him for the left back spot, I wonder if the rumours will prove to be true.
6. ZE RICARDO (MF)
AP 14 M 559 G 0 AS 0 Y 2 YY 0 R 0
A very sad season for Ze. I feel like he’s really been treated badly by the club and cheated out of match time. Started the season looking pretty good I thought, given that he was still settling into a new club and a new league. Got stuffed by Oniki’s refusal to change his formation and reluctance to drop certain players and ended up getting frozen out, so much that when he was in the line up at the end of season ceremony it took me a while to work out who he was. Getting left out of the ACL squad suggests that he’s not in our future plans which I think is a big shame, but as always seems to be the case, we have way too many central midfielders. No idea what’s going to happen. A new manager could be a new start for him. But perhaps a decision on his future has already been made.
7. Shintaro KURUMAYA (DF)
AP 6 M 380 G 0 AS 0 Y 2 YY 0 R 0
Pretty shocking stats for someone who used to be a regular. Was injured a bit but the real reason he hasn’t played is that he’s dropped out of contention. I never really understood why he converted to being a centre back as I don’t think he was as good there, particularly in a back four. But I believe he wanted to play in the middle. And (currently) we have two players ahead of him at left back which I think is where he plays best. There have been rumours that he’s leaving which will be sad for lots of people. Would like it if he stayed and took his chance with the new manager but perhaps the decision has already been made and perhaps it might be best for both him and the team if he went elsewhere.
8. Kento TACHIBANADA (MF)
AP 55 M 4488 G 5 AS 1 Y 7 YY 0 R 0
Loads of appearances and minutes for Tachibanada in 2024 but I don’t think it’s been a particularly good year for him. Ever since he got the captaincy for a season he really seems to have dropped off. It can’t help that he’s spent plenty of time playing at left and right back. Another victim of the massively overcrowded midfield of our squad, but unlike some others, he always seemed to get slotted in somewhere rather than dropped. I can’t imagine that did his confidence much good. Clearly he’s best in the defensive midfield spot and had a few decent games there in 2024. But the constant shuffling of his position on the pitch definitely hasn’t been a good thing for him. Hopefully he can get back to the levels we know he can reach in 2025.
9. ERISON (FW)
AP 37 M 1817 G 10 AS 4 Y 7 YY 0 R 0
A stop start season for Erison as he started with a bang looking absolutely unplayable and then a series of injuries really disrupted his season and he couldn’t get back to the same heights afterwards. Definitely wasn’t helped by our tactics or formation in 2024 and hopefully he can kick on in 2025 under a new manager. Looks strong and dangerous and I think he’d score a lot of goals in the right system. So hopefully we use him in the right system. The approach of the new manager is going to be crucial in seeing how his 2025 goes.
10. Ryota OSHIMA (MF)
AP 17 M 813 G 0 AS 2 Y 1 YY 0 R 0
I could probably just cut and paste what I’ve said about Oshima over the last few years for this. It goes without saying that he’s had an injury disrupted season as this is what always happens. Feel like he played a bit more this year though, but still 17 appearances probably won’t feel like that many for him. (A quick stat check shows that he indeed played more this year. A whole 100 minutes more… But basically it’s been about the same for the last few years). In the past he’s talked about retirement but has always been encouraged to keep going. A change of manager might be something that could influence that decision either way, which I realise is not exactly startlingly insightful analysis, but I guess his future will depend on how things go in 2025. Fingers crossed he can stay injury free, (or at least less injured), than in previous years.
No comments:
Post a Comment