Daizen Maeda

No he just scored and that’s making you think he was close to pass marks. He was * awful.

 

Lol no. My thoughts on his performance had nothing to do with his goal.

 

I agree with this. I'd add that he needed to spend far too much time in positions away from where he's best because he constantly had to cover for the weaknesses of others (especially, but not only, Bernardo and Taylor). Whenever he did have the chance to play in his actual position and attack the fullback, he was by far our most effective threat.

 

He could be a real asset in Europe if we kept it tight and hit on the break.

 

A tactic we really should have been using last night, our most difficult game in the tournament in theory (and probably in practice based on last night)

 

No chance, Villa will beat us by 9 going off their game against Bayern tonight. Atalanta maybe just the 5 or 6

 

Atalanta being Italians are more likely to do the same as they did to Shakhtar, go 3/4 up and then foot off the gas see it out no issues instead of going for the throat like Dortmund did.

But if we play that high a line like we did against Dortmund against Villa, even if CCV is there or not, Ollie Watkins will * destroy us. They’ve also got a captain who watches us every game, knows us inside out and one that when we tried to sign him did it disrespectful as * and might have a point to prove in John McGinn. I’m not looking forward to playing Villa at all.

They also have a manager who’s a * monster of European football in Emery, we have one that is a proven failure at it, even while having one of the best teams in the competition in Liverpool.

 

To be fair, when you’re essentially to blame (or partly to blame) for 2 goals then it’s hard to get pass marks.

 

He got a goal and 2 assists tbf to him

 

dont know why he is getting grief for not controlling a ball mcgregor shouldnt have been drilling a ball to him on the edge of the box with 3 players surronding him .the capitan made the blunder for that goal

 

Watched the Villa game and even tho Bayern were constantly in possession or attacking Villa didn’t seem to care at all. Very composed in the defence. Maybe only panicked last 5 minutes and that’s a worrying sight because against us they’ll be able to play their own game….but if they’re able to defend too then we’re *! Haha

 

IF they handed out awards for defending from the front, Daizen Maeda would have to free up plenty of space on his mantelpiece.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has already gone as far as to suggest there is currently no player in world football superior to Maeda when it comes to pressing the opposition from an attacking position.

There’s little doubt the Japanese forward has been Celtic’s most eye-catching and effective performer so far this season as they have made a flawless start to the defence of their Premiership title

Maeda’s apparently indefatigable willingness to chase and harry when out of possession is a quality which is, understandably, highly prized by Rodgers.

There is, of course, much more to Maeda than simply earning comparisons with the Duracell Bunny for his style of play.

The 26-year-old is currently Celtic’s top scorer with six goals from his eight appearances so far this season with a couple of assists thrown in for good measure


It’s an area of his game Maeda takes great pride in and he has revealed he is hoping to set new standards on that front between now and the end of the campaign.

‘I think if I keep playing like this, scoring and assisting in every game, the numbers will definitely go beyond what I have done in my previous seasons here,’ he said.

Joining initially on loan in January 2022, Maeda scored eight times in the second half of that season as Celtic won the first of their current run of three consecutive titles.

He grabbed 11 in his first full campaign at the club and then 10 last season as he adapted to the change of management from Ange Postecoglou to Rodgers.

‘The numbers have been few for me,’ added Maeda, ‘and I want to get as many goals as I can.

‘I’m not overly thinking about the numbers in terms of goals or assists because the most important thing for me is contributing to the team winning.

‘But if my numbers go up this season, it would be great. The most important thing, though, is always the team. If the team is playing well, that’s the biggest thing for me

Maeda’s career best tally was the 23 goals he hit for previous club Yokohama Marinos in 2021 when he was the joint top scorer in the J-League. He already senses he could be set to emulate that kind of rate for Celtic this season.‘I have a similar feeling compared to when I was playing for Marinos that year,’ said Maeda.

‘Hopefully, I can get as many goals as I can for Celtic this time. There will, of course, be some period in the season when I can’t score. That will definitely come.



I have to be patient in those moments and try to get more opportunities to help the team.’

Maeda admits he was irked by being denied another goal during his current rich vein of form when his superbly-finished early effort against St Johnstone in the clash at McDiarmid Park last Saturday evening was disallowed after a VAR review.

Team-mate Auston Trusty was judged to have fouled Graham Carey in the build-up, a ruling which split opinion among the Scottish FA’s key match incidents outcomes panel when they reviewed it.

‘I was frustrated at the time but I got a goal in the end,’ said Maeda, who was outstanding in the 6-0 pummelling of Saints.

‘Now I have the feeling I can score in every game. I can’t really carry the frustration of the goal being cancelled, because I scored another one.’

Maeda is happy to share the load up front for a Celtic squad in which Kyogo Furuhashi and Adam Idah are the only recognised central strikers.

‘I don’t know if my goals take some pressure off the strikers,’ he said. ‘But the other players think the same way as me. They want to help the team. I’m not a player who provides leadership to the team but I do try to lead in how I play. That’s the way I try to take responsibility on the pitch.’

After the chastening experience of their 7-1 Champions League defeat against Borussia Dortmund in Germany on Tuesday night, Celtic return to more palatable domestic fare this afternoon when they take on Ross County in Dingwall.


They will look to rack up their seventh consecutive league win since the campaign began, a run that also sees them yet to concede a goal in the Premiership.

Maeda will bid to sign off in style with Celtic before duty calls during an international break in which Japan hope to move closer to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup Finals. They made a perfect start last month, routing China 7-0 and Bahrain 5-0, and are fancied to maintain their momentum when they play Saudi Arabia in Jeddah next Thursday and then Australia in Saitama the following Tuesday.

Maeda, who scored his fourth goal for his country in the win over China, is keen to add to his 19 caps as he eyes the prospect of representing them on the biggest stage of all for a second time.

He was one of Japan’s top performers in Qatar two years ago, helping them reach the last 16 where he scored in the 1-1 draw against Croatia before losing a penalty shoot-out.

‘If I look at my career, playing in the World Cup Finals again would be amazing,’ said Maeda.

‘It’s all going to be down to how I play at club level. I need to do my best at Celtic in every single game.


‘After that, playing for Japan is my main focus.

‘Can this squad qualify for the World Cup? Definitely.’

 

He was poor today, he's an excellent player for us but I think games like today show how vital it would be having a creative winger there.

Against the huns there's no other Winger I'd have starting, away to a very deep Ross County? There's plenty I'd rather start.

 

He was really poor in the final third..

Lot of times he was free and the ball found him, in the air and on the deck....and there was zero conviction..

 

He’s always hit and miss in those kind of games where there’s little space in behind and that’s where Forrest is really good.

 

Starting on the bench for Japan v Saudi

No doubt he'll be on at some point

 

Big Dazzy on with Japan over half an hour to go