If not on the wing, where does Maeda find space?

495

Brendan Rodgers post-match press conference in Yokohama was interesting on two fronts.  Almost a year after sustaining a shoulder injury, the manager revealed Kyogo did not start the game as the same issue left him short of the fitness levels even his team-mates were at.  If the medics have not resolved the issue by now, it is likely Kyogo will have a persistent weakness in the joint.

A more positive note was struck when discussing Daizen Maeda, Rogers said, “I thought Daizen was outstanding. I like him more through the middle. I think he does a good job on the side, but there is a reason he plays for Japan through the middle.”

This could be taken for a platitude to a player who scored a hat-trick, but Brendan added detail, “I like players at the top end who can really press the game and Daizen can definitely do that.

“It’s just about adding to players’ development. Daizen is still a young player who can improve. Of course, his strength is running in behind, but sometimes there won’t always be that space. So, can we develop his game and get him into areas he can work the defenders?”

That last point is critical.  In 90% of Celtic’s domestic games there is no space for Daizen to exploit, at first pass, his greatest asset is unsuited to our game.  “Can we develop his game and get him into areas he can work the defenders?”

I have no idea what that will look like.  The best example of Daizen at Celtic was at Ibrox in January, when he ran through the opposition defence to open the scoring, but that game was ultimately rescued by the innate ability of Kyogo to find space inside the box.  When fit, Kyogo will remain out top striker this season.

It has been four years since Brendan watched a bank of five defenders on the edge of their box with another four a few yards in front, so close, they could almost hold hands, his memory of what’s in store may be more generous to our standard opponents than they deserve.  Working them is entirely desirable, I just don’t see where Daizen will do this, if not on the wing.

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  1. The returnof weeron on

    MODERATOR1888 on 21ST JULY 2023 7:16 PM

     

    Chairbhoy

     

     

    As much as I spat the dummy for Rodgers coming back….

     

     

     

    Sorry Mod….

     

     

    All joy and happiness will be removed from yourself as we go on to 19 out of 20 titles, and 3 consecutive UCL cups.

     

     

    You voted against our returning saviour. Can’t change your vote now.

     

     

    Thems the rules….:)

     

     

    Ronnie

  2. Moderator1888 on

    Jackiemac

     

     

    Aye

     

     

    Am at your

     

     

    mums/sisters/etc etc

     

     

    We are celebrating…..

     

     

    Delete as you see fit xx

  3. BIGRAILROADBLUES @ 8:36 PM,

     

     

    BR said he was going to play two different sides each 45 mins, Interesting to see the lineups but that means just about everyone plays.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  4. hahahahahaha

     

     

    magic mod

     

     

    I’m having a jemmie

     

     

    thanks for keeping us sane.

     

     

    mon the 5th Aug ffs.

     

     

    #i’dratherhaveBRreturnthanyerman

  5. Moderator1888 on

    Weeron

     

     

    aye lol

     

     

    Hurt when he left

     

     

    Big time

     

     

    Opened up the hurt when he came back

     

     

    After a little pondering

     

     

    Am glad he is here

     

     

    Hail x2

  6. The returnof weeron on

    MODERATOR1888 on 21ST JULY 2023 8:42 PM

     

     

    I was gutted when he left, too….but when I heard Ange was leaving (the night of the Hibs game) I said out loud that it must be Brendan. Don’t know what we’d have done had he not been unemployed at that moment in time.

     

     

    Ronnie

  7. Tom McLaughlin on

    Wife and I just back from Oppenheimer which opened today.

     

     

    Outstanding movie.

     

     

    First time I’ve been in a packed cinema for over 30 years.

  8. bournesouprecipe on

    Ah yes , the £60M in the bank.

     

     

    All of those players minus Jota are still there and brimming. I discount Aaron Mooy’s very short great spell, he didn’t come back fully from his last injury, and his body already told him to quit.

     

     

    I think the Brendan ‘ marquee ‘ type player is for that position. As discussed before Brendan wouldn’t have come back without a line being drawn in the sand between him and the board, regarding financing his squad.

     

     

    I think we’ll sign another wide man 5M 6M as a direct replacement for Jota. I don’t think a first pick will come in over Joe Hart, keepers that good would cost a fortune, and we’re still dizzy over how bad Barkas turned out to be. Centre back even at £5 / 6M would only be a challenger to CCV and Starfelt

     

     

    An awful lot depends on which players are moving on, not just the usual suspects who are definitely moving on. Brendan likes to top up in January we can even afford to spend very heavily then, we’re minted whilst others are on Vinted.

     

     

    Quick summer till September 1st

     

     

    HH

  9. Nite, honest :)

     

     

    The term legend can be in my opinion used loosely.

     

     

    This guy will always be remined as a musical legend, IMHO,

     

     

    Tony Bennett – The Good Life / I Wanna Be Around (from MTV Unplugged)

     

    https://youtu.be/zq0LN8rWRno

     

     

    Tony Bennett – Autumn Leaves / Indian Summer (from MTV Unplugged)

     

    https://youtu.be/XA0ekm4w99U

     

     

    The Iconic tune to finish, nite all, I promise. :)

     

     

    Tony Bennett – I Left My Heart in San Francisco (from MTV Unplugged)

     

    https://youtu.be/r6DUwMnDxEs

     

     

    HH

     

     

    Brian

  10. For anyone interested the Hunger Strike Commemoration march is this Sunday 23rd July, assembling 1.30pm, Wishart St, Glasgow.

  11. Moderator1888 on

    Mick Nawrocki looks like he may fit in well

     

     

    No nonsense guy

     

     

    A little of Simunovic about him

     

     

    If we can get him,

     

     

    Will be happy

  12. BELMONTBRIAN

     

     

    Agree mate , a wee tear in my eye for the passing of the legend Tony Bennett.

     

    San Francisco gets me every time .hh

  13. Prestonpans bhoys on

    Videocelts say:

     

     

    A report from Poland has claimed that Maik Nawrocki flew to Scotland this morning to complete his 5-6m euro transfer to Celtic.

  14. Drambowiecelt on

    Agree Tony Bennett was top notch..but for me Al Martino blows him out the water with..

     

    Here in my Heart…….The first American number one in the U.K…..in 52…

     

    What a song……Both had vocals that reached the parts…..

  15. BOURNESOUPRECIPE @ 9:04 PM,

     

     

    Yes, you are right but I think we did miss Mooy in the run in towards the end of the season.

     

     

    The team won the treble, that’s true, but did they look head and shoulders above an average Sevco side, did they cover themselves in glory in Europe?

     

     

    We seem to be up in the air at the moment, or maybe that’s just me. Yet the missing physicality, our issues attacking and defending at set pieces and the way our team looked very average against quality opposition or even SPL opposition that was up for it…

     

     

    Our recruits and BR’s player development does not eradicate that, certainly not over night.

     

     

    Here’s our Japanese line up…

     

     

    Abada

     

    Bain

     

    Bernabei

     

    Forrest

     

    Haksabanovic

     

    Hatate

     

    Hart

     

    Iwata

     

    Kelly

     

    Kobayashi

     

    Kyogo

     

    Lawal

     

    McGregor

     

    McPherson

     

    Meada

     

    Oh

     

    O’Riley

     

    Scales

     

    Siegrist

     

    Starfelt

     

    Summers

     

    Taylor

     

    Turnbull

     

    Vata

     

    Welsh

     

     

    Now, we have CCV, AJ and Tony Ralston missing as well as our four new players but are we seeing a UCL group stage team there?

     

     

    That’s why quality, experienced players are needed.

     

     

    As you say, BR is not coming back without assurances and so I’m sure we will get first team players in.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  16. CHAIRBHOY

     

     

    “we have 30 mn+ coming in for Ange and Jota, we are guaranteed € 60 mn income from the UCL this season.”

     

     

    You’re just winding people up now. You know that’s nowhere near what we’ll bank this year.

  17. bournesouprecipe on

    Moussa Dembele signed by Lyon from Celtic in August 2018, for a fee of £21M.

     

     

    He’s a free agent

  18. CELTIC40ME @ 10:05 PM,

     

     

    With all due respect, I’m putting opinions out there, I’m putting names, facts, figures out there.

     

     

    Mostly far from negative, if you want to pick up on the negatives or hold different opinions fine.

     

     

    What makes you think that we will not get €30mn for Jota and Ange, I’ve seen figures of £37mn. We’ve informed the stock exchange this year’s figures are “substantially higher” than expected

     

     

    Why do you think we will get less than €60mn for our European participation this season?

     

     

    Sure we could lose every match, share Scottish UCL TV money with Sevco, fail to fill Parkhead for the home ties, not get the sponsorship money from Adidas and the like but it is far from a crazy number.

     

     

    Hail Hail

     

     

    Yet, it is a fair ball park number as things stand.

  19. MODERATOR1888 on 21ST JULY 2023 8:29 PM

     

    If the post was highly offensive

     

     

     

     

     

     

    And he wouldn’t know why

     

     

     

     

     

     

    (and neither would I)

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Then the decent thing to do

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Would be to issue an apology and move on?

     

     

     

    ===============

     

     

    just in from driving duties,

     

     

    so, a poster telling someone to go kill themselves,

     

     

    thats ok.

  20. !!Bada Bing!! on

    Another beauty to add to BSR’s brilliant lexicon of transfers,just learned that Sevco ‘ get tough’ as they fall well short of a bid for a player….so can’t pay the asking price….?

  21. bournesouprecipe on

    Chairbhoy

     

     

    I normally avoid cliches like the plague but that list is bloated.

     

     

    We are up in the air, you could argue we’d be much more settled if we didn’t have so much money to try and spend. Finding players that aren’t the new basic Celtic price tag ( £2M ) isn’t so easy, £7 – 8- 10M players tend not to head for Parkhead.

     

     

    Examples are ,sign a first pick at X million for treble winning players like Johnston or Taylor or Hart or Starfelt to become bench warmers ?

     

     

    We’re unveiling Nawrocki next week, with two Korean players and the new improved contracts we’re a bit further into Brendan’s budget than the internet would have you believe.

     

     

    I expect a much better CM to replace 33yr old Mooy and a marquee signing probably a wide bhoy. Top up in January as and where required .

     

     

    HH

  22. bournesouprecipe on

    Mod

     

     

    Yes, but I think there was a toy throwing incident and a fall out with Brendy.

  23. Jaberwocky getting medical.Said it earlier,whoever scouted this guy,brilliant price.Around 5 million.

  24. Moderator1888 on

    SAINT STIVS

     

     

    have a sleep son

     

     

    You are being a ickle bit of a karen

     

     

    YES

     

     

    He stepped out of line

     

     

    YES

     

     

    he got put back into line

     

     

    YES

     

     

    Your previous grievances were noted

     

     

    AND

     

     

    I explained why they stood

     

     

    IF (as you explained) the poster cannot get why their post was offensive

     

     

    How in the name of Bobo Balde do you expect me too??

     

     

    And if so why would I be expected to delete said post?

     

     

    And to be honest I have watched over the past weeks

     

     

    You have given out worse than you have received

     

     

    Behave man

  25. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Stebhoy – cheers

     

     

    Am loving the trophies.

     

     

    I’d like a couple of serious signings – soonish.

     

     

    No panic though.

     

     

    As long as the team are

     

    – primed to make a statement on 03-Sep

     

    – razor sharp for CL from mid Sept

     

    – and the squad is deep enough to allow some backup players to navigate early rounds of League Cup and home league games across September to November?

     

     

    That’ll do me.

  26. BSR,

     

     

    Got a feeling the Korean CM could be the guy alongside Calmac,Reo.We could already have the Jota replacement.Let’s see.

  27. BOURNESOUPRECIPE @ 10:56 PM,

     

     

    Bloated, bloated!! Well, at the end of the day, it’s horses for courses and there’s no point crying over spilled milk.

     

     

    Due to the lateness of the hour, allow me to c&p a comment I made on another forum when making a similar point to Auldheid regarding getting players in…

     

     

    “There will be various ways we can attract these players.

     

     

    CCV was looking for a team that would appreciate and utilise his undoubted talent

     

     

    Mooy, was ready for his swansong, he wanted to get fit for the world cup, his wife was Scottish, he knew Ange.

     

     

    Starfelt was playing for a Russian team when war broke out

     

     

    Kyogo, Meada, Iwata, Reo, Kobayashi, were in Ange’s little black book

     

     

    Jota was on the wing…

     

     

    Lubo was a gift from God

     

     

    The point was that it is not easy to get these players in, Agreed, currently at Celtic we seem to feel their are processes and metrics and systems you can use that will identify your recruits.

     

     

    That could well help but we have tended to manage by using various and expedient means.

     

     

    Edouard a bad boy that had blotted his copy book, we took him on loan with a eight to buy

     

     

    M. Dembele out of contract and needed only a development fee as he was in another country

     

     

    Jota, had underperformed and we took him on loan with a eight to buy.

     

     

    Yet your point is valid, are these players hoping to be happy on the bench.

     

     

    Well our salaries to our top players have taken a hike, that helps.

     

     

    We could do much more team rotation than we do also give prospects a chance with cup competitions and home game against lower league opposition.

     

     

    Take our new prospect, Nawrocki due to the circumstances and timing we need to pay Legia top dollar and hive him a handsome salary, but he’s young and on the cusp of being an international.

     

     

    A few Scottish trophies, UCL experience, a call up for Poland NT, catching the eye of some English clubs and his value could double or more.

     

     

    Agree on Mooy, although I said we missed him, my thoughts were we could do a lot better and that is a crucial position that would be well worth investing in.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  28. New keeper would do me now.Love Hart,but far too many bloopers in his time with us.No time for sentiment.

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