Daizen Maeda

Has really upped his game this season especially since the WC

 

Don't know if it's a case of me just being used to focusing on the negatives with him tbh, seems to be where my opinion usually lies with Daizen.

To my eye he produced some good numbers last season and early this season, along with his obvious qualities in running and pressing, but his lack of touch and end product at times has overshadowed that majorly.

 

Keep seeing folk say this is a purple patch could we finally be seeing a settled and real version of him if you look at him before he joined he's very direct and powerful feel like he's fed off scraps the last season but since the world cup he's been taking the game to the other team big time

 

They're petrified of his speed..

He's been unreal of late. So confident..

 

New favourite gif

 

He does seem to me to be delivering decent corner kicks too

 

Hes came back from the WC full of confidence. Its great to see

 

Was worth bringing in Kewell for the massive improvement we've seen in Maeda in just a few months too. Abada too.

 

Ref gave a corner and then changed it to a foul against Tavernier after var looked at it for a potential red card.

Not what var is supposed to be used for.

A lot of odd refereeing in that game.

Ignore the penalties, Kamara's handball not being a yellow card comes to mind. In that video above you also have Sakala pushing Maeda when he was trying to take a quick throw in...

 

I want to say it was sands, but there was a time in the first half I think, where one of our players was running to a wide position, off the ball completely, and he just throws his arm out and clocks our player.

I'd give him the doubt about it being randomly an accident, but it was weird and wasn't when acknowledged.

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Maedas return last season was good. His form dipped a bit at the start of the season but he was getting rotated quite a bit, and rightly due to the form of Jota and Abada.

Not sure how you attribute his return to form on Kewell when there is far more basis to suggest his WC run with Japan was more beneficial to him.

 

Definitely a different player since the WC. Good to see him being more confident and running at players. He has the pace to burn any full back.

If he can contribute 10-15 goals a season and double figures in assists, plus his workrate, he’ll be invaluable.

 

I haven't subscribed to the idea he was "out of form" for a very long time before the WC break. The improvements were very evident and clear before the WC.

 

His form actually started to pick up before the WC