Daizen Maeda

I was saying he was having a stinker first 25. Then ofcourse he turned it on and was unplayable
Typical daizen performance. He’s lethal in the box

 

Hat-trick hero Daizen Maeda has issued an ominous warning to the rest of Scottish football, insisting that there’s plenty still to come from his side.

The Japanese forward was Celtic’s standout performer in a 6-0 Premier Sports Cup semi-final demolition of Aberdeen at Hampden Park on Saturday evening, as they booked their place in the final next month with room to spare.



Goals from Cameron Carter-Vickers, Kyogo Furuhashi and Maeda had the Glasgow side on easy street heading into the interval, before the latter notched another two either side of a sublime Nicolas Kuhn strike after the break.

Maeda – who took his tally to nine for the season – admitting his team were relentless as the put the Dons to the sword, just two weeks after the Jimmy Thelin’s men fought back to earn a share of the spoils on league duty at Celtic Park.

But speaking after collecting the match ball, he warned that there is still room for improvement.

‘We still have a long way to go,’ he reflected. ‘We have the Champions League [against RB Leipzig] next, so we'll focus on that

There's definitely space to improve for ourselves.

‘We scored two against Aberdeen last month but they came back to get a point, so I think everyone was motivated and wanted to show we are the better team.

‘Aberdeen are a good side, that’s a fact and that doesn’t change.

‘We won against them today but that doesn’t mean we’ll beat them in the league the next time we meet.


So we will just keep fighting and try to get all the wins we can in the league.’

While admitting his focus remains firmly on the collective rather than any individual accolades coming his way, he was delighted to play a key role in delivering the victory.

He said: ‘After coming back from the last international break I haven’t managed to score as much as I have before.

‘So I really wanted to score and assist to help the team out and now I am back in the goals again.

I want to keep this momentum and get better and better.

‘I felt the battle against [Nicky] Devlin could have a big impact for the team and whether I won or lost against him would have affected our performance.

‘I managed to get goals and beat him so it was good to make such a positive contribution to the team.’

Rangers and Motherwell will go head-to-head in Mount Florida later today as they bid to join Celtic in the final on December 15, and Maeda insists he has no preference as to who he would like to face

I don’t really mind which team comes through,’ he said.

‘Even if it is Motherwell it is going to be a final so it’s already a special occasion. We just need to prepare ourselves.’

It was a chastening experience meanwhile for the men from the Granite City, who failed to lay a glove on their dominant counterparts

 

Word is that Nicky Devlin was straight on the phone after the match asking to join Tav’s support group, Daizenholics Anonymous.

 

Is that 3 or 4 hat tricks he has for us now?

 

Just a typical Daizen performance-a few wayward crosses, great work rate-and a hat trick.

 

A force of nature

 

Im in awe of his work rate.
Fantastic hatrick.
Exceptional assist for Kyogo goal.
Plus...watch his position/ block at CCV goal

 

Just love watching him

 

Nicky Devlin will be waking up with cold sweats

 

Did Rodger’s say that he’s not been feeling well for a good few weeks and has only recovered now?

 

Normal for Daizen = superhuman for anyone else.

 

Sure he did - you could see he didn't have his usual levels of energy.

 

I wonder how much English he understands and speaks as you always see him engaging with players and officials.

 

That run round the back of Devlin for his first goal was ridiculous.

Honestly, at this stage he would be my left winger in my all time favourite Celtic team.

 

Nobody can convince me that this man is human.

He is a machine.

Doesn't even break a sweat.

I * love him

 

He is a genetically superior samurai warrior.

 

Thats quality I was thinking along those lines myself.

 

He’s just awful!