Daizen Maeda was probably the most talked about player on the supporters buses heading out of the coach parks behind the Jock Stein Stand and over at the Emirates on Tuesday night (an update on coach park issues was provided last night on The Celtic Star, see below).
READ THIS…Coach Park Update from Celtic SLO – One Good Thing About Tuesday Night
When the Japan international forward found himself in behind the RB Leipzig defence and having an opportunity to run in on their goals from the left hand touchlline in the second half, his decision to attempt a cross which ended up in the Jock Stein stand was met with groans of frustration and moans of annoyance at Maeda wasting such an opportunity to threaten the Leipzig goal with a burst of his pace.
Yesterday we published an guest column from the Bhoys at The Celtic Exchange podcast where one of their chaps Martin MacDonald outlined among other points, his view on Daizen Maeda, asking if he is up to Champions League standard?
Martin wrote: “Daizen Maeda’s most impressive attributes are clear – he is an absolute workhorse, is extremely fit, does exactly as the manager asks, and is a team player. Those are all admirable traits for a player and ones that are vital in a side that presses with such intensity.
“But, there have been too many occasions in a Celtic shirt when Maeda’s actual quality on the ball has let him down and RB Leipzig again highlighted his lack of ability in crucial areas. Those being harsh would suggest he should have scored with a headed opportunity in the first half, but the cross was behind him and it would have taken a herculean effort to manipulate his body to get an attempt on target.
“Nobody has forgotten the actual golden opportunities that he has missed in Europe, though. It was his use of the ball that proved his downfall again. On one occasion, the fans sent a sea of groans in his direction after Maeda encouragingly broke down the left-hand side with Leipzig apparently on the ropes.
“Rather than utilising his speed to burst into the area, he proceeded to launch a rather embarrassing left-footed cross into the Jock Stein stand. At that point Celtic were desperate for promising breaks forward, and it was an opportunity wasted.
“Whenever he makes a mistake, he subsequently plays within himself which results in constant passes back to Greg Taylor. This would suggest he is a confidence player, and it is up to Ange Postecoglou to take him out of the firing line for a period, at least away from the starting line-up.
(Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP)
Maeda does have some positives and he should not be written off, but either his quality in the final third must improve or he must be left out of bigger games.”
Ange Postecoglou was asked about Maeda’s form in the Champions League and indeed this season. Here’s some of what Ange was saying in the media room after the 2-0 defeat to RB Leipzig on Tuesday night, watch below…
“It is just perseverance. I know people look at the end product and Daizen has been a bit unlucky on a couple of occasions against Leipzig,” the Celtic manager pointed out.
“He does put in an enormous work-rate. We felt from last week their right hand side can be a threat going forward and I thought his defensive work was outstanding and that helps us as a team. But he’s got to learn the other side of the game which is really important in terms of finishing and the end product.
“He keeps getting into those positions. In every game he does but goals are sort of eluding him. But again we can’t just sort of scrap him because he is not the finished product either.
“We have to persevere with all our players. Apart from Joe Hart you look at the rest of them age-wise and experience-wise and this is a massive jump for them. I am being really ambitious with the way I want us to play our football. That is going to be testing for them. But I am not discouraged by the way we are going. If anything I am encouraged to keep going down this road.”
(Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Ange also has James Forrest who has an abundance of Champions League expereince, as indeed The Celtic Star reminded Ange about at the pre-match Media Conference at Celtic Park on Monday afternoon. James Forrest replaced the injured Liel Abada, who actually was making little impact in the game, and the 31 year-old winger certainly added to his impressive cameo up at Perth with a very lively second half showing, where he looked to have the beating of the Leipzig left-back.
Surely Forrest deserves some domestic starts to get him up to full match fitness ahead of the must win game against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday 25 October at Celtic Park?
If you agree with Martin or think Ange is correct, please add your own comments to the Daizen Maeda debate below…
