Scotland’s PFA Player of the Year looks a shadow of himself this season.
Yes, it’s only a few games into the new season, but Daizen Maeda hasn’t found his form, and it has proven to be costly for Celtic.
Whilst the Celtic board don’t help matters by not bringing some proper forward players to help out Brendan Rodgers, it has now cost the team Champions League football.
One thing you can’t hide away from is the form of Maeda, especially against Kairat Almaty, and that ruthless edge that has gone out of his game.
However, Peter Grant has been fairly consistent about Maeda from the outset, even if it has led to him receiving verbal criticism for it.
Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty ImagesDaizen Maeda ‘isn’t a natural finisher’ for Celtic
When Maeda first joined Celtic in 2022 under Ange Postecoglou, it was thought that he would play as a centre-forward, but because of Kyogo Furuhashi, he played on the left wing.
But it was only in January, when Kyogo joined Rennes, did his Japan teammate start playing down the middle, and he proceeded to go goal crazy.
Despite scoring 33 goals in all competitions, including against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Grant was adamant on Go Radio that Maeda ‘isn’t a natural finisher’, and he has said that since ‘day one.’
“I said from day one, and people laugh at me because of the amount of goals Maeda scored, he isn’t a natural finisher,” said Grant.
“It has been proven over the two games. A natural finisher, and you can be through in the competition.
“Then, you are still arguing about signings, but you are sitting in the Champions League. That’s the thing supporters will get annoyed by.
“I know I get some people criticising me because I say that about Maeda. But it’s a fact. He has proven it time and time again. I know he got a lot of goals last year, and now people are saying, ‘if they get £25 million for him, they will sell him tomorrow’.
“Yeah, that’s fine, but then where does it leave you? You have two or three days to bring somebody else in. If you haven’t got somebody else to come straight in, then you are getting weaker and weaker all the time.”
Maeda’s numbers as a striker
Before last season, the one constant aimed at Maeda was the fact that he was difficult to play against; nobody would run more, but he just lacked that end product.
He was still seen as a top player for the club and a regular starter, but many felt that he would go to the next level if he could start scoring on a regular basis.
Then, at the click of a finger, he turned into prime Henrik Larsson for a few months, and his numbers overall as a centre-forward are pretty impressive.
Maeda’s games as a striker: 20Goals: 17Assists: 5