Celtic and Martin O’Neill kicked off their crucial post-split fixtures with a massive bang, securing an enormous victory over Falkirk on Saturday evening at Parkhead.
As soon as Celtic’s official social media account dropped the starting XI, the biggest talking point was O’Neill’s bold call to leave the much-talked-about Kelechi Iheanacho on the bench.
This is despite Iheanacho’s brace in the Scottish Cup semi-final last week against St Mirren. However, Chris Sutton has perfectly nailed the manager’s tactical logic.
Moments after Maeda had dazed Falkirk’s backline into a mistake, Sutton noted:
“That pressing is something which Martin O’Neill feels that Iheanacho can’t do,” explained the former striker. “He can give Celtic greater quality, in terms of holding the ball in.”
Was that Daizen Maeda’s best performance of the season?
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O’Neill was absolutely right to ignore the mounting external pressure to start Iheanacho – 67 Hail Hail, even debated this before the Falkirk match, with only one of our writers calling for the forward to remain on the bench.
While the free transfer might be far more clinical inside the penalty area than anyone else on Celtic’s books right now, he would never have forced Falkirk into the panicked defensive mistakes that directly led to the opening two goals.
That relentless, chaotic energy was provided solely by Maeda, and Sutton was right to point it out, as he told Sky Sports Football (25/04/26).
“He’s a pressing machine, isn’t he, Daizen Maeda?” said Sutton. “That’s his game. Tremendous once again. You thought Falkirk would have learnt their lesson.
“From Celtic’s point of view, you would say ‘good time to find his form.’ That pressing is something which Martin O’Neill feels that Iheanacho can’t do. He can give Celtic greater quality in terms of holding the ball in.”
Maeda’s stats for Celtic against Falkirk
The blistering Maeda on show right now is the exact same player who deservedly won Scotland’s PFA Player of the Year last season.
It has been a long road this campaign, looking for someone to step up and score the goals, but the old guard is starting to do it when it matters most.
If the Ange Postecoglou signing continues in his current ways, he stays as the centre-forward for the remaining matches. It is simple.
Yes, Iheanacho will still prove to be a vital player during this title run-in, but mainly from the bench.
Nonetheless, these are Maeda’s stats from the win over Falkirk:
- Minutes played: 90
- Shots: 5
- Goals: 2
- Assists: 1
- Accurate passes in the opposition half: 7/9 (78%)
- Touches: 36
- Successful dribbles: 1
- Was fouled: 1
- Total carrying distance: 43.3m
- Carries: 5
- Defensive contributions: 5
- Tackles won: 3
- Clearances: 1
- Ground duels won: 5
- Sofascore rating: 9.3
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