Liel Abada

Explosiveness I’d say he’s miles above, Maeda is steady high, high work rate. Abada is more one to stay still letting somebody think he’s being marked then explode off the mark into space.

I think it’d be daft to sell him just now, we can guarantee he’ll bring goals and assists, to a high level. That’s a guarantee from everything he’s shown so far, he has 3 years left on a contract so he isn’t depreciating, he has been on fire pre-season and started off the season setting up a goal, and seems to have really bought into what Rodgers wants.

Rodgers also has a history of improving on players, he may have wanted to look at a move last year still under Ange, this year they’ve said BR and him had a talk, he’s fully committed, doesn’t want to leave and had bought into what we want to do.

There is zero downsides to keeping him here another season at the very least.

I think parts of his game are irreplaceable just now as well tbf, out of all our wingers, I don’t trust any of them to be able to outscore him. Jota a much better player, playing more games last year, could only do it by 1.

 

Agree to disagree on explosiveness. Maeda might be the most explosive footballer I've ever seen in my life including world class players like Mbappe, prime Gareth Bale, Messi, Ronaldo, you name it. If only he was a bit more crafty with the ball at his feet. But then again, chances are he wouldn't have been playing for Celtic.

The way I see it, Maeda and Abada share plenty of similar traits. To a large extent, they cancel each other out meaning one of them is better suited coming off the bench. I believe Maeda is clearly better, hence imo Abada is expendable. That said, he's definitely a promising young player.

 

Might be a difference semantics with explosive, it’s not really a defined term. It’s a sudden burst to life for me, the most I’ve seen live was Coman the 2-1 Parkhead game. * would go from nothing to 100mph everywhere instantly. It was mad.

Maeda is always at that, like, and this is a weird ridiculous comparison I’m aware - Kante. Just constantly running at that level. He’s a unique freak of nature.

Would you trust him to put away the chance when we need a clinical finish? Would you trust him to outscore Abada or set up more?

Maeda for me is a complete opposite of Abada, he’s everything outwith the end product with sporadic class putting it away or setting up.

Whereas Abada is all end product, a level of movement that can’t be taught, but he has the sporadic moments of the play outwith the end product that needs improved on.

It’s why I love having both as options.

 

Think your definition of explosiveness is different to most people.

Maeda is rapid and ridiculously energetic, but not explosive.

 

We cannot be selling Abada this window. Our attack already needs strengthening without selling our best winger (albeit, it’s admittedly quite a low bar).

 

Aye he’s the opposite of explosive for me - explosive is a sudden burst of great energy. Maeda is just a sustained assualt of great energy.

 

Where is this talk coming from btw? After Rodger’s interview saying he wants to be here after they had a chat and how much effort he’s shown pre-season I thought the leaving chat was dead and buried.

 

Just a report from Sky Sports saying we’re expecting bids.

I think he’ll stay tbf. Already got enough strengthening to do without selling another first team regular.

 

I would be expecting bids to be fair, he’ll be high on a lot of clubs scouting lists with his numbers alone. The statistical style of scouting a lot of clubs use, he’ll be very high on it, as will Matt O’Riley.

Matt O’Riley being very high on they ones from his first professional games of football, it’s why Brighton, Liverpool and Dortmund’s all been mentioned with him before. I can’t see Liverpool they scout that way then it seems to be if Klopp has personally seen them and wants them. But Dortmund and Brighton, aye could see that.

Abada with clubs like Ajax and Benfica they’d be aware of him with an eye on it with an absolute certainty. And I think most would be aware that if he stays another year with us, as first choice, under a manager well renowned for improving players, there is every chance that his price could double next summer.

There is no downside for us waiting another season, contract wise, the way h: responding to the new manager and what we need on the pitch this season wise.

 

Agreed Abada is hands down a better finisher. Problem is, neither of them is creative enough to consistently beat his opponent 1vs1. Starting both of them means we end up with a deficit in creativity at the wing positions. We can cοmpensate for that by starting 2 creative CAMs like we did against Ross County, but then we are exposed defensively in the middle of the pitch. Neither O'Riley nor Turnbull is mobile enough to press the ball when we lose possession. McGregor cannot run for 3 players. No wonder we conceded 2 goals last Saturday.

Ideally, we need to pair one of Maeda/Abada with a top class, creative winger in the mold of Jota. Easier said than done. Our most creative wingers right now are probably Haksa and Yang. The former is a bit too slow for a winger. The latter may need time to adapt, although early signs are rather promising. Another possible alternative is Tilio. I don't know enough about his game tbh. We got plenty of options. Unfortunately, none of them stands out at the moment.

 

O’Riley has consistently been our midfielder who presses the most, wins the most tackles, aerial duels and interceptions since he’s got here btw. One of those ones that goes really unnoticed but he is consistent as * at it.

Rodgers style of management and play doesn’t really allow for flair and beating men on the wings either, its either about moving into space in final third or overlaps.

But it’s useful to have both aspects of that in a wingers game, where if they need to they can.

Look at what Forrest transformed to under BR first time round, he stopped trying to hit the byline and just beat a couple men and get the ball in, he started moving into space and coming alive when he had space to, and would recycle possession the majority of the time. Same with Sinclair.

It was all about the final movement, the final ball and hard work off ball. Constant movement and dragging defence around.

Kyogo’s goal last week being a perfect example of that. Honestly I’m buzzing to see what BR can make of Abada, he’s the exact type of player that will thrive under his management and instruction.

 

Like many people, I have a kind of mental checklist I run through these days regarding whether we should sell players and he literally ticks none of the boxes:

The player himself has made it very clear he wants to move: no.
The player is reaching an age where we need to be cashing in now if we're ever going to: no.
The player's contract is reaching a point where the fee will start going down: no.
The player has developed as much as he is ever going to at Celtic: no.
The manager doesn't fancy him or he doesn't fit the system: no.
The player has a bad attitude or is a bad influence on dressing-room morale: no.
Some club has offered us silly money we can't refuse: no.
The player doesn't really contribute much of value at Celtic: no.

It's a "no brainer": keep.

 

I wouldn't focus on off-ball movement. Both Ange and Rodgers ask from their players to move off the ball. Big difference for me is Ange focuses on ball pressure, whereas Rodgers focuses on ball possession.

Ange tries to force opposing teams to make mistakes as close to their box as possible. The goal is to take full advantage of these mistakes. Rodgers wants his team to methodically build from the back and create their own chances instead of capitalizing on opponents mistakes. Personally, I absolutely loved Angeball. I think BR's philosophy is better suited against inferior domestic opposition. Ange's philosophy is better suited in Europe. Let's face it, we cannot outplay elite european teams. Our best hope is to outrun them.

Agree to disagree on O'Riley's mobility. He's 1,89. Rule of thumb is, the taller the player the more difficult it becomes to explode or change direction when pressing the ball. It's one thing to be fast when running in a straight line. It's a whole other thing to be explosive or change direction when running at full speed.

 

That right there is why he’ll adore Abada, his movement in off a defender making space for himself, his ability to sniff out chances, to stand by himself in a packed box.

Then it’s how he makes space to run off a defender in behind outside the box, like Kyogo’s goal last week or 3/4 times we seen him make that same assist pre-season. He is built for Rodgers style.

Ange’s style our wingers had to make a lot on their own when we were up against a low block, 10 men in the box, and between Jota and Kyogo’s movement, we always did.

The two styles are different but both equally as dominating on the pitch in Scottish football at least.

O’Riley’s mobility I see where you’re coming from, it can look cumbersome, but his numbers for pressing opponents and successfully getting the ball are the best in the team. For pressing him, Maeda and Kyogo flip about. For winning possession back doing it, O’Riley wins it.

Stats though, watching the games Maeda and Kyogo force a lot of dodgy passes that O’Riley will press and win back.

So it’s a team game, but factually he does the most per 90 mins. Whilst not being as mobile as others on the pitch, similar Mooy last year btw, was more successful at it than Hatate but was nowhere near as mobile.

It’s about the brain and decision making as well. That’s purely off the ball btw, because I agree about on the ball, he can be cumbersome and wait to pick a pass, it’s why it’s generally the right one. It’s why I like Hatate and him together, brcause Hatate will pick any pass he see’s. It can be erratic, it can be other worldy.

 

Felt he should have had a penalty right before the Aberdeen goal, that ball never went out and the guy decked him as soon as he entered the box. Ref never blew until he was tripped either to say the ball was out so surely VAR should have had a look and said the ball never went out and that was a foul?

Even worse Aberdeen scored from that goalkick.

 

Big fan of his but he was absolute dung the day.

 

This is the problem..

He's still young and gonna be inconsistent, naturally..

Also lacks that bit when trying to beat a man, or having that bit of creativity. A reason why I wanted a first team right winger brought in to compete..

A first team left winger with Yang for the left and obviously Maeda but he may be played more as a 9 when that happens. Tilio more central once he's ready..

 

His runs in behind are brilliant he just lacked the final ball, lost count how many goals he scores by just sneaking round to the back post.

Still plenty to improve on but he’ll get there.

 

Most were ready to cash in on him before we lost Jota..

He's a bit of an enigma, as his wing play is very poor at times but he has a real knack for being in the right place at the right time and his finishing is excellent..

We will need Yang, Tillio and Forrest even to help him with the RW berth..