Alan Brazil and Ally McCoist agree Celtic star ‘doesn’t look like the same player’

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It has been a bit of a slow burner for Celtic this season.

When you look at it on paper, Celtic are sitting at the top of the table, but that doesn’t tell the whole story, because it has been quite an eventful opening few months.

From Celtic crashing out of the Champions League to that utterly dour and put you to sleep Glasgow derby performance over the weekend.

You can sense something isn’t right on the field of play, and whilst a lot of noise has been coming from the 2025 summer transfer window, there has to be an element of concern with some players, especially Daizen Maeda.

• READ MORE: Ally McCoist makes ‘scared’ claim after Rangers and Celtic produce drab Glasgow derby

Daizen Maeda ‘doesn’t look like the same player’ at Celtic

After winning Scotland’s PFA Player of the Year last season, when he netted 33 goals in all competitions, Alan Brazil and Ally McCoist agreed that something just doesn’t seem right with the Japan star.

Perhaps this forthcoming international break and the summer transfer window closing will change things in the coming months.

But, one thing is for sure, Maeda just ‘doesn’t look like the same player’ from his record-breaking 2024/25 campaign, as they told talkSPORT.

“I even thought Maeda might have gone before the window shut,” admitted Brazil. “He’s not the same player.”

McCoist agreed: “He isn’t the same player. He doesn’t look like the same player.”

How Maeda has rated for Celtic this season

With Adam Idah leaving Celtic and joining English Championship side Swansea City on deadline day, it probably means Maeda will play more games down the middle this season for Celtic.

That’s where he shone the most last term, but with only one goal to his name in all competitions, all of that has to change in the coming months.

But so far, it has been a mixed start for the all-action forward, and this is how he has been rated by WhoScored:

• 7.23 rating vs St Mirren (90 minutes played)
• 6.63 rating vs Aberdeen (90 minutes played)
• 7.2 rating vs Livingston (32 minutes played)
• 6.15 rating vs Rangers (90 minutes played)