As Daizen Maeda’s move to Celtic edges closer – Here’s what to expect from the Yokohama F. Marinos striker

With rumours abound today that Celtic are returning to Japan with a view to signing Daizen Maeda from Ange Postecoglou’s old team Yokohama F. Marinos, and that a medical may even be close to completion, then just what are Celtic getting from the J-League hitman?

At 5ft8 and 10 and a half stone Celtic are certainly not mixing up the attacking options with a bulldozing centre forward, this is a signing that fits the Ange Postecoglou style and his versatility across the frontline looks an asset in itself, given the high intensity style of play appears to result in casualties shall we say!

Maeda has predominately played as a left sided attacker early in his career, as well as through the middle in recent times. Yet the fact he is predominately, but certainly not exclusively, right footed means the option to play on the right side of Celtic’s attacking three, given Ange doesn’t invert his wide players, seems a possibility.

With injury concerns continuing over James Forrest and Liel Abada a youthful work in progress, the signing of Maeda may well be coming at just the right time, though you can easily make the same argument for the left side of attack with Jota’s absence and Mikey Johnston’s historical injury concerns, and the striker role isn’t much better with Ajeti, Kyogo and Giakoumakis all struggling to be available consistently.

It is also somewhat overlooked that Maeda has played in the past as an attacking midfielder and as a second striker, playing behind a number nine, his versatility then may even extend, should it be required, to playing even deeper than those attacking options in the Turnbull and Rogic positions.

According to totalfootballanalysis.com, https://totalfootballanalysis.com/category/player-analysis Maeda has also managed to maintain a 56% shot accuracy rate this term and generated the highest expected goals (xG) of 14.89 of any top flight J League player this season. This would indicate a player with good accuracy of course, but underlying that it points to a player who makes good off the ball runs to take up the right positions.

That skill will follow him to Celtic from Japan, with the proviso his teammates will need to find him with accurate and timely deliveries. Anyone who has watched Kyogo make run after run in a similar way, but not necessarily be picked out by the midfield passer or wide player, will realise just why Ange Postecoglou is also looking at other attacking options for Celtic. Kyogo and Maeda in the same team should frighten Scottish defences, however ensuring they are given the ammunition to do so is going to be the next piece in the jigsaw.

Shot accuracy and off the ball work are key components of Maeda’s play, but allied to that comes a player with frightening acceleration and impressive agility. His pace you will see from the video clips clear as day, but also look at his ability to change direction quickly, check his runs, receive the ball and drop the shoulder, and move where the space opens up.

It is also worth paying attention to Maeda’s constant observation of the opposition defenders, where they move to and where he can pick up space. He certainly seems a thoughtful and intelligent footballer with a good awareness of the space the opposition offer. This helps him score goals with his head, and he has an impressive mix of left foot, right foot and headed goals in his repertoire. However, don’t expect him to be dominant in the air or win more than one in four of his aerial duels. It is his taking up of space away from defenders, utilising that awareness of the position opposition defenders take up that allows him the space to head goalward, by ensuring he is unchallenged. Maeda isn’t one for winning the majority of his aerial duels but he is accurate when heading the ball when space is afforded to him.

Maeda’s pace and acceleration is as we know are incredible assets but when you add the agility this is a player suited for European competition as well as the Scottish League. Unlike domestic competition, in Europe teams will attack us offering space from behind, this is something Maeda will utilise, as such perhaps the days of watching away days in Europe through gaps in our fingers will become a thing of the past.

Yet there are weaknesses to Maeda’s game and it’s important to highlight those too. He can run with the ball but do not expect a mazy dribble like Jota, that is certainly not something in his armoury. He moves well off the ball, but when in possession he is limited to utilising his speed aggressively rather than any great weaving with the ball at his feet. According to wyScout https://wyscout.com/football-players/ Maeda has a 51% success rate with his dribbles but you have to counter in the fact he appears to avoid them, attempting under four dribbles per game, but when you consider he prefers the ball played into space rather than into feet, he clearly is aware of his limitations and one on ones with defenders, though inevitable, he tries to mitigate by avoiding as much as possible.

Maeda is also predominately a one touch finisher, his spring off his left foot into space as soon as a defender eyes the opposition player with the ball rather than him, gives him opportunities as he prefers to pull off defenders and take his chances quickly. This is probably why he played so often as an inverted winger on the left, as he could spring off the left foot and bend the ball goalward with his right foot.

Maeda can, but doesn’t often, draw players in, fashion space with two or three touches and rifle home, and there is good reason for that, unlike Kyogo his first touch is not his strength, and he isn’t a player who will drop deep and take the ball into feet, mind you nor is Kyogo and the Postecoglou system doesn’t demand much of that that in any case. Nor does it involve, thankfully, a player who plays well with his back to goal, as again Maeda I’m sure wouldn’t count that as a strength of his game.

In short, Celtic, should Maeda sign, are getting a speedy, agile, player and one capable of changing direction wonderfully, as well as an intelligent decision maker, who though predominately right footed, is two footed and a good header of the ball when it comes to taking chances, just look at the variance of goals shown here in his Transfermarkt.com stats across his career to date. Maeda is a top drawer first touch striker of the ball and he’ll be a nightmare for defenders to stay tight to such is his incredible movement and reading of deliveries.

The down sides are a weakness in the dribble, a first touch that needs work and someone who may contest but will rarely win aerial duels. He is however a player clearly aware of his weaknesses, plays on his strengths and demands the ball where he wants it so as to mitigate those deficiencies. And with the right coaching Maeda is more than capable of improving, as he has shown by his ability to play several positions and turn himself from effective inverted winger into a top striker in Japan.

Daizen Maeda is no sure thing just yet when it comes to be a Celtic player, but should we get this one over the line, Celtic are getting a predatory striker and one suited entirely to Ange Postecoglou’s system of play. Allied to an ability, if required, to play several positions, Maeda’s signing could have a significant impact on the title race next year. He’s certainly a player I’d fear in any opposition line-up, as such I’d more than welcome in ours.

Niall J

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