Daizen Maeda

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is thrilled to have Daizen Maeda available for the upcoming UEFA Champions League clash against Bayern Munich.


The “extraordinary” forward, who recently netted a hat-trick in Celtic’s 5-0 Scottish Cup fifth-round win over Raith Rovers, was initially set to miss the match as he served the second game of a two-match suspension.

However, the Japanese star is now free to play after Celtic successfully appealed his ban.

The suspension stemmed from a red-card offence following a retaliatory incident late in a league-phase clash against BSC Young Boys on January 22.

"It's such a great bit of news that we got last night," Rodgers said. "He's an extraordinary player. I think how he's been this year for us, not just with goals but what his value gives to the team in terms of his pressing and his honesty to the game. So, to have that mentality and that ability available was a big surprise, but a nice surprise


He's a good person and as a guy he's super professional. He comes in every day, does his work, does all the right things to prepare himself to be a top professional. He trains as he plays, so he's very intense and he gives everything in his training. He then takes that personality on to the field.

"So, he's been an absolute joy to work with. Just seeing him develop and grow over the course of the season. I think his ability in his finishing, but add to that the work rate and the intensity, he's been a really pivotal player for us

 

We should make sure they ref knows he's a great player and that Munich will use dirty tactics on him if allowed

Great news he's available for this

 

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers revelled in having his “extraordinary” forward Daizen Maeda available for Wednesday night’s Champions League play-off first leg clash with Bayern Munich after the Glasgow club won their appeal to reduce a two-game suspension.

Maeda was sent off in gameweek seven of the tournament back in January against Young Boys for a late kick out at Mohamed Ali Camara. He was due to miss two matches for the incident, but having served one of those against Aston Villa late last month, Celtic submitted an appeal on Friday and discovered on Monday evening that he will be available to face the German giants.


The development is a massive boost for Rodgers, who admitted some surprise at halving the suspension. Maeda has scored 20 goals for Celtic this season and is one of their most in-form players. Often deployed as a winger, he can also play through the middle as a No 9 and is set to start against the Bavarians

It’s such a great bit of news that we got, obviously, last night early evening,” Rodgers said on Maeda. “He’s an extraordinary player. I think how he’s been this year for us, not just in goals, but what his value gives to the team in terms of his pressing and his honesty to the game. So to have that mentality and that ability available was a big surprise for us, but a nice surprise.

Rodgers had clearly not been banking on Maeda being available, given that he has played the full 90 minutes in all of Celtic’s past three matches. “I ran the legs off him for three games!” laughed Rodgers, before hailing the 27-year-old’s physical prowess. "He'll be fine for the games, don't get me wrong.


He's a lot of miles on the clock. I think to have that, if you go into the Premier League down in England, the running capacity and physicality you need for that league, there's players there that have that of course. But he does all the things that, in terms of what you don't need talent for, he does them to the highest level. All the running, the pressing, his will to run and run and run is absolutely incredible. I haven't worked with too many like that



The ones that can do it in bursts of course and pressure, but for someone to have the desire to want to run is absolutely at the highest level. So, we're very lucky to have him here. He just keeps continuing to grow and develop and now you see his composure. He's scored goals, all types of goals and just very, very pleased that he's with us


Speaking on the appeal, Rodgers continued: “It was brilliant by the club, I've got to say, because he was always going to serve one game, but until you get the written report, which didn't come through until Thursday/Friday last week, you can't put in your appeal. But as soon as it did come in, obviously the club put in the appeal. Which, with the greatest respect to UEFA, we were thinking this probably wouldn't bear fruit. And then when I got the call to sat he was able to play, I thought, ‘goodness me, he's played the three full games’.


He couldn't run any more as a striker, as a winger. But thankfully he's just a bundle of energy, so he'll be okay., I was a wee bit surprised when it came through. But it wasn't unsurprising because of getting two games. It wasn't an assault. Assault was in the report. So I think on that basis alone, the club were great. They appealed and thankfully we won.

 

Who are the officials for the CL matches.
Don’t want Spanish, Italian or Portuguese officials.
Bunch of corrupt *

 

What an unexpected and brilliant boost for tomorrow night. Not just the impact that Maeda brings himself but it also means when we go to the bench in the second half its not Yang we are going to but Jota first which obviously is a massive difference.

 

Even if he doesn’t score, the fact that given the slightest chance he will means Bayern will have to put 2 on him leaves gaps for the others to take advantage of.
Just hope they are at their sharpest and don’t hide and stop this * tippy tippy sideways crap.
If they try that * Bayern will tear us apart.

 

Spanish ref tomorrow. Jesus Gil Manzano

 

Few dodgy decisions in favour of Bayern then

 

Need to find him pre game and shout german insults at him so he hates them more