It has not been the season beginning Daizen Maeda and Celtic had planned for.
While his talent is undeniable and patience is required, the 1-1 Europa League match with Red Star Belgrade was difficult for the Japanese forward. With Shin Yamada not registered for the competition, Johnny Kenny unavailable, and Kelechi Iheanacho on the bench, Brendan Rodgers decided to start Maeda up front.
Rodgers, however, replaced him with Iheanacho at halftime following a dismal first half, causing much debate. The scenario is compounded by Maeda’s drive for a summer exit, which became public after the transfer window closed.
That uncertainty hasn’t helped, but Chris Sutton believes Rodgers would be better off utilising Maeda in his more natural role out wide. His performance versus Red Star was not very impressive, with WhoScored ranking him barely below six.
Maeda’s stats against Red Star:
Shots: zero.
Touches: 7.
Number of unsuccessful touches: 1
Offsides: Two.
Passes: Four
Passing accuracy: 75 percent
Rating: 5.96.
With Iheanacho scoring again, there will be mounting clamour for him to lead the line, given his natural instincts as a striker.
Sutton expressed sympathy for Maeda on social media, stating that he is being played out of position. I feel for him, even if he is not hurt. “A player who was exceptional out wide is now being forced into a role that does not suit him.”
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