Better late than never, and that certainly applies to Daizen Maeda at Celtic in recent weeks.
It was only 12 months ago that Maeda was picking up Scotland’s PFA Player of the Year, but he has been nowhere near that prize this term.
John Collins pointed towards Maeda ‘letting himself down’ this season, as the former Celtic man pointed at the Japan star’s ‘lack of sprinting.’
Say what you want about the versatile forward as a player, his technical ability or his finishing, one thing that is usually on repeat is the energy he provides without the ball, and Collins feels it has been missing for most parts.
“But Maeda is coming back to form,” said Collins. “That’s big news for Celtic. I think he has let himself down this season, with his lack of sprinting and pressing.
“At the end of the day, that’s the biggest part of Maeda’s game, is the running and the pressing. And he let that go. His attitude dropped when he never got his move.”
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The ‘panic’ for the opposition when Daizen Maeda is pressing them
It has been well-documented that Maeda wanted to leave Celtic last summer, but the powers that be didn’t green-light a move.
You even had Martin O’Neill return to Celtic and inadvertently reveal that Maeda wanted to join Wolfsburg – they are battling relegation in the Bundesliga.
Either way, Collins didn’t hold back in his criticism of Maeda, but he told BBC Radio Scotland that the tide has started to change and the opposition are once again in ‘panic’ mode when he is pressing them.
“But Maeda is coming back to form,” said Collins. “That’s big news for Celtic. I think he has let himself down this season, with his lack of sprinting and pressing.
“At the end of the day, that’s the biggest part of Maeda’s game, is the running and the pressing. And he let that go. His attitude dropped when he never got his move.
“In recent weeks, it looks like he is back to his old self. 100% sprints, not 90%. When he is sprinting at defenders, they panic. The goalkeepers. You actually see that. You actually see defenders tighten up. He gets blocks in.
“That’s big for the players behind Maeda, him at the top of the pitch doing that. He pulls the rest of them with him. All of a sudden, he creates more energy, more tempo and more sprinting about the pitch. So, big player. The manager will be delighted he is back scoring goals and putting pressure on the opposition defences.”
Maeda’s form since the March international break
Celtic have had to deal with crunch match after crunch match, including the Scottish Cup semi-final, post the March international break.
With three games of the regular season remaining, including a trip to Hampden to take on Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Cup final, the domestic double is well and truly on for O’Neill.
Maeda is starting to hit his stride, just when the pressure cranks up, and his numbers post the March international break prove it.
- Games: 5
- Starts: 5
- Goals: 4
- Assists: 1
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