Daizen Maeda emerged as Celtic’s main man against Hibernian yesterday after he scored a double in the Bhoys’ 3-1 victory over Hibernian in the Premier Sports Cup second round.
Kyogo Furuhashi’s shoulder trouble meant Brendan Rodgers didn’t risk the Japan international in his matchday squad for the tie.
The Irishman confirmed post-match that he will be assessed this week after the recurrence of the ongoing issue. Nevertheless, Maeda slotted into his role seamlessly, striking twice in the first half to give the hosts a 2-0 advantage in the first half.
His pressing also forced Marvin Ekpiteta into a slack back pass to Josef Bursik, which Nicolas Kuhn intercepted to round off the scoring in Glasgow’s east end.
Adam Idah made his second debut for Celtic off the bench, receiving a heroes welcome once he replaced James Forrest on the hour mark. Many thought the Republic of Ireland international would lead the line from the start, but Rodgers implicitly trusted Maeda to fill the striking void.
Offering his assessment, Jackie McNamara believes the Irishman will be delighted with the fluency shown by his forward line.
Jackie McNamara on the Celtic forward line and Daizen Maeda
Speaking on the Scottish Football Podcast, McNamara paid tribute to Maeda’s hunger to get in the right positions and thinks Rodgers will be encouraged by what he saw from his forward line despite Furuhashi’s absence.
He explained: “I think (they’ve been professional), they’ve been solid. They’ve made a really good start; they’ve had a good pre-season, Celtic. I think the thing that will please Brendan today is, Kyogo has been out, he had Idah on the bench and started Maeda.
“I think you can see a real development in those players. I think when Maeda played up the middle before a couple of years ago, he kept running away from goal. Now, he wants to be in between the sticks. The front three, they’re in there to try and score goals and you can see that development in their game.
“So I think Brendan will be delighted that he’s, like I said, he’s rested Kyogo today, but then they’ve still went out, Maeda has come in and scored two, and Idah’s came on and played a little part in the game. But, I think Hibs were never going to go there and cause them real problems.”
Celtic look sharp in the forward areas
Celtic’s attacking intensity has markedly improved from last season. More emphasis has been placed on the system working in tandem rather than relying on one or two individuals to prop it up.
On the one hand, January signing Kuhn has stepped up, building on his pre-season hype with three goals and an assist in his opening three appearances. James Forrest has excelled on the other side, using his experience and quality to make life difficult for opposition defenders.
The chosen striker now has a more straightforward job, with the midfield three effortlessly controlling proceedings behind them. Long may it continue; Celtic have looked sharp in the forward areas at this early stage of the campaign.
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