Daizen Maeda

I only saw the second half, but I thought he was really good. The one time they opened us up, it was Daizen who popped up in the box at the exact right time to clear it. Then another time, Johnston decided to initiate a one-man press (I don't know if that was his bad decision making or others failing to react to a trigger) and got picked off and Daizen had slotted back into his position at RB seamlessly and eventually broke up the attack.

This is even though he's not long back and Livingston are exactly the wrong team for his skillset. I love the guy.

 

Massively important to us and will be on 30th. Not disputing his rawness at times

Sent from my GM1903 using Tapatalk

 

Agree, didn't look fully fit to me. He is coming back from being out so might just be rusty.

 

I agree he's such a hard watch at times and his football is so frustrating, but his runs and positions are unmatched by anyone else in the team. It mentally taxes their defence, and I don't think our other current options are offer more than him.

 

Still, getting back up to speed..

He's an important player for us as we'll see on the 30th.

 

All the pace in the world and absolutely no * clue how to use it.

Never a winger in a million years

 

Can see why Japan have him up front.

 

Yep. He has qualities and can be a very useful player but has no idea how to go past a full back, on the rare occasions he does his delivery is generally poor.

I'd argue none of our wingers are actual wingers.

 

Some of you are at it. Cryin when he's out the team, cryin when he's back.

It's clear as day we've missed him and he's been out a decent time. He's obviously going to be rusty. Crucial player for us.

 

Was night and day between him and Johnstone, that much is clear.

Still coming back and getting up to match speed. Will be exceptionally important for us going forward. Especially given we don’t know what is happening with Abada.

 

He kills me on the right..

 

BEING sidelined through injury for a prolonged period of time is always a frustrating experience for a footballer.

It is, though, particularly difficult to watch from the stands when your team mates are losing important matches and coming under fire from their own supporters.

When one of your closest friends is struggling to perform as well as he can and is being singled out for criticism by fans and pundits as a result it only increases your exasperation further.

So it is no surprise that Daizen Maeda, who returned to action for Celtic in their cinch Premiership defeat to Hearts last weekend after over a month out with a knee injury, is determined to make a major impact now that he has regained full fitness.

The Japanese internationalist believes he can help the defending Scottish champions to put their slump in form firmly behind them - and his countryman Kyogo Furuhashi to keep scoring up front – in their remaining games before the winter break.





Furuhashi broke the deadlock in the 2-0 league triumph over Livingston at Parkhead yesterday when he got on the end of a Luis Palma cross early in the second half.

But Maeda, who played for an hour before being replaced by James Forrest, has sensed that Brendan Rodgers’ side has been lacking pace in wide areas in recent weeks.


The 26-year-old is confident he can supply that much-needed commodity going forward and ensure that Celtic, who completed a world record eighth domestic treble last term, can get back to their very best.

“I was watching the games when I was away and the team was lacking pace,” he said. “I think I can give that pace to the team. I am glad to be back and am looking forward to the coming games. I am not sure I am going to start games or not. But if I do, I will give all of my best to provide the pace.

“What we’re trying to do now is play to the centre of the pitch. Once we attract opponents, we then play to the sides. That’s how we have to play to be effective. If we just go directly out wide, it will be difficult. To do what we want to do with these tactics, we need pace to get behind defenders.”

Furuhashi, who was crowned both PFA Scotlandand SFWA Player of the Year last season after netting 34 goals in all competitions, was replaced in the Celtic starting line-up by Oh Hyeon-gyu in the Premiership games against Hibernian and Kilmarnock after hitting the target just once in eight outings.

Maeda has felt for the £4.6m signing because he knows his compatriot needs quick deliveries into the opposition area in order to get on the scoresheet. He is optimistic he can provide the service which the normally lethal predator requires to function.


It is not just Kyogo’s fault not being able to score the goals,” he said. “It is just that overall somehow the team was not working well. I am coming into the games and I can probably give the pace, as I said before.

“One of the strengths of the team is to have the pace and speed in the front third. Hopefully I can give that to him. He scored again today and we won. I am sure the team will start to perform well as well. I hope that will come soon.

“His strongest point is to be available from the blind side of centre-backs. That's where his quickness and agility comes in. When we cross in it's easier for opponents to defend because when we have the ball they are ready for that. It's a bit difficult for him to convert them to goals.

“So if I provide him with the pace then he can beat defenders more quickly than he has without me playing. Hopefully I can play and be an asset to him.”

Maeda, who is set to play for Japan alongside Furuhashi in the Asian Cup in Qatar next month, stressed that it is the responsibility of every player in a green and white jersey to win games and has not felt the need to offer the forward any words of encouragement.

I don't necessarily have to speak to him,” he said. “It's not one player's responsibility to get results, as a team we have to work hard together and once we get better performances we will have better results.”


Maeda suffered his knee injury in the first half of Celtic’s humiliating 6-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in a Champions League group game in the Metropolitano Stadium in Spain last month


To add insult to injury, he was red carded following the collision with Mario Hermoso after the referee Ivan Kruzliak viewed a replay of the incident on his pitchside monitor.

The wide man admitted he was unhappy with the punishment which he received. The visitors had started the Group E encounter positively and they were blown away after they were reduced to 10 men.

But he has since focused his efforts on recovering from his knock and is eager to make up for lost time in the matches which are coming up against Dundee, Rangers and St Miren.

"First of all, about the tackle, I feel sorry for the team because I have been sent off,” he said. “However, looking at the incident, I am the one being kicked by the player.

“But it is football and things can happen and I have dealt with these kind of situations in my career. After that I just turned my mind to rehab and getting ready to be back playing again. I will give my all now I am back.”

 

Big Daizen giving it 'it's cool lads, am back and am rapid'

 

He’s a terrible footballer, of that there can be no doubt. What he brings, and all he brings, is an unbelievable work rate. He has no first touch, doesn’t score enough, passing is poor but in saying that he’d be one be of the first on the team sheet against the Huns, because he keeps their right back quiet.

 

Guys a * enigma, elevates our team majorly but skyrockets the * frustration levels

 

We need more of these players. The bulk of our team will always be made up of players who are good-but-not-great all round; but one thing we've always had whenever we have punched above our weight in Europe post-Strachan is players who are world-class in some aspects of their game and quite poor in others. Maeda is the only one we have right now that fits that; but others I remember include Ntcham, Sammy, Forster, Wanyama.

These players frustrate the * out of you with their obvious flaws (or in Ntcham's case not so much a flaw as a major attitude problem, although I suppose that's a flaw too), but they give better teams something they need to adapt to in ways that our more well-rounded players can't.

 

Aye Lenny was brilliant at that - Hooper was one of the most clinical strikers I’ve ever seen, Charlie Mulgrew’s delivery was exceptional, Wanyama’s physicality…

 

Aye, game completely bypassed him. Didn't even see the usual effort in all honesty, which to me says he's still not fully fit, or head is down.