To our eternal confusion, when Daizen Maeda got to the World Cup in November, he was used as a striker, a role he only fulfilled at Celtic when there was literally no one else available for the task. It was not madness on the part of manager Hajime Moriyasu, who left the brilliant Kyogo back in Glasgow.
Daizen is not as accomplished a striker as Kyogo, but Japan were in Qatar to play a different way than Celtic, they were prepared to concede possession for long spells, so needed someone who could press defenders at an elite level. There is none better for that role than Daizen.
At 25, I don’t think we have seen the best of him yet. The vast majority of games he plays for Celtic provide little scope for his natural game, as active space is so contained in Celtic’s attacking third. It is perhaps only against Newco, who vainly try to go toe-to-toe with the champions, where he can really turn it on.
His goal at Ibrox in January, when he spooked Tavernier is a perfect example, as was his Scottish Cup semi-final move, when he won a ball he was third closest to, before whipping in an inch-perfect cross for Jota to nod home.
“Another four years” is perhaps a bit misleading. Sure, he’s contracted for that long, but I expect bids for him in 2024 or 2025. His physicality, speed and perpetual motion is made for the dozen-or-so teams that regularly counter-attack in the EPL.
You can imagine the goings-on at Celtic this week. “We’ve all this money, do we need to tell the stock market?” It reminded me of an old Dave Allen joke:
A man sits in a confessional and says, “Father, I’m having an affair with a gorgeous young thing that lives down my street.”
Priest, “That’s not how a good Catholic should live.”
Man, “Oh, I’m not a Catholic.”
Priest, “Well, why are you telling me?”
Man, “I’m telling everybody!”
Football is a hard enough business, if you have a good story to tell, tell it.
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Extensión Friday?
Holaaaaa 💚☀️🚵⛱️
Pre season game is Spurs in Dublin, 29th July……mmmmm
BIG WAVY on 7TH JULY 2023 12:05 PM
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 7TH JULY 2023 11:16 AM
I love James (and a happy birthday fella) but at 32, with pace now gone, he’d be a sentimental pick. Brendan did wonders with him back in 2016+ but age waits for no man, and he’s well behind a group including Maeda, Abada (may change), Haksa (might move to No.10), Tilio, Vata, Summers, Yang (tbc) and the Jota replacement (Borges or Tete)….
No sentiment on the Brendan bus csc
HH
Good afternoon 35 now.
Sitting in a lovely retaurant at the marina.
AOW – emptying boat 🤣
Lullibies – I did used to wear them and never got this so away in October I will try and wear again see if it makes a difference.
TB – Will give it a try, tried a few and a bit full on for a reserved Garngad bhoy.😉
D :)
BB – saw it on Twitter from Tam Selleck, maybe Reo going to play a half each 😱😂
Splash the cash csc…
Now we know what the huns best shot looks like….:)
Let’s blow them away and win the pre-season cup for once ffs !!!!
HH
GG – Phone been goosed since Monday, so just catching up.
Very sad to hear about your health issues, but know you have the strength and support to pull through. You, more than anyone, bring sunshine to our match updates and long may you continue to do so. Take Care!
Just like to say thanks for having the last post on the previous , I’ve been trying fir that accolade for a while now , only ever had one podium !
HH
Strong rumours I’ve just made up are that we will have a South Korean winger and another LB very soon.
From last Blog, got a great laugh out of Tom McLoughlin’s Post saying we need to do something about the Moderator.
Moderator can be a bit wackey at times OK but I love that wackiness in people, so the Mod gets my vote.
Must say I also like & respect Tom as a Poster, but Tom if the Mod deleted your Post because you said people here disliked Murray because he wasn’t a Catholic, then he has done you a favour,
To say something like that is accusing some fellow Supporters as being Religious Bigots , I wasn’t part of the debate & hold no views either way on Murray, but if I did dislike him & had posted the fact, I would have been deeply offended by your Post.
You are a lot better than that Tom, we all lose our temper at times and maybe make an intemperate Post, you should be happy it’s disappeared and not get copied on to a Hun site by some Lurker.
So let’s hope Daizen can start to consistently turn it on when facing Champs League teams who go toe-to-toe with us this coming year. Smashing athlete indeed.
BTW: Loving the new Brighton away kit:
https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/c3g7w740d3do
It’s very hard to judge the Sevco transfer incoming during the close season, just a s it’s hard to acclaim ours till we see them actually play in a Celtic strip.
However, one thing reassures me about them. They have a remarkably bad habit of judging the players they get on loan.
They let Diallo go back to Man U. They backed off Tillman- who was semi-decent and they have made a mess of the wee Turkish LB who was a promising player. I was never convinced by Hagi but you could add him to the list of players they’ve mis-used.
The one sure thing is that both our squads are likely to look different by the time the season is a month old.
Whilst I’m sure the club will treat them with the footballing respect, here’s the pedigree, with goals & assists missing from Kent, Morelos, Tillman & Arfield to make up.
Kieran Dowell (25) AM – A freebie from Norwich.
Dujon Sterling (23) RB/LB – Banging around the championship for years.
Jack Butland (30) GK – Free transfer from Palace, totally out of the picture for years with gaffes & injuries.
Sam Lammers (26) ST – A £3.5m non-golscoring forwrd from Atalanta.
Abdallah Sima (22) RF – A season loan from Brighton…not an asset.
Cyril Dessers (28) ST – £4.3m journeyman from Cremonese.
HH
Good afternoon all from the Vicky Bar. New signings announced by 6pm please. Or I may take to the drink.
That list of “ranjurs” signings, i seriously couldnt pick any of them out in an id parade.
FAO ” GG”…
Ive had a wee read back, and may I add my best wishes to you regarding your health.
I hope that you make a full and speedy recovery ASAP .
HH Mate.
Saint Stivs
Merry Macs fun parade.
FAO DAVID66..
Ive just got your Text Mate, thank you.
I have only been out once since MAY 31st, for just over an Hour. I had Three Pints then went back home as Ive been feeling rather ” Dodgy” for the last few weeks.
Im so glad to read your holiday updates from Turkey, and it appears that you are all having a great time and I am so jealous !
Maybe I will manage to get away somewhere soon for a weeks break real soon ?
All the best Mate to you and the family.
HH.
Absolutely no coherence in that list of huns beyond how to make as many signings as possible with a small budget.
Older journeymen with no sell-on and 1 young punt they think is Bassey 2.0…
35 in the squad, chasing Cifuentes from LA and no assets to sell.
All-in, on red, once again.
HH
FAO TONYROME…
Ive Texted the MOD, and I have asked him to provide you with my Email Address asap.
So look out for an Email from the MOD very soon…Hopefully…..and then feel free to Email me asap ?
Cheers Mate.
HH
Big Jimmy
Me and Brian M are going to Donegal next April. You are very welcome to join us. Brian is doing all the driving and paying for all the drink. I haven’t told him yet. 😉
Big Jimmy – Good to see you posting.
Hope you feel better soon.
D :)
QUADROPHENIAN on 7TH JULY 2023 12:35 PM
So let’s hope Daizen can start to consistently turn it on when facing Champs League teams who go toe-to-toe with us this coming year. Smashing athlete indeed.
BTW: Loving the new Brighton away kit:
https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/c3g7w740d3do
________________________________________________________________________________
Nice kit as you say. Something I’ve noticed these last few weeks the amount of teams in England who have green in their away kits, Brighton, Liverpool, Newcastle. There was time not so long ago that the only teams (I think!) in the top divisions in England who wore green (home or away) were Plymouth and Norwich. Is the future bright, the future is green and white?!
P.S. I am aware that there will be responses pointing out that 20 or 30 teams in the top divisions in England wear green and I’m talking rubbish!
Happy Friday all!
Parents and eldest niece still here and having a ball.
Off out to Red River Gorge tomorrow. My favourite place in Kentucky.
Hope you are better today ‘GG.
Scott Brown gets new two-year contract at Fleetwood.
Sold on this day.
https://wikifoundryimages.s3.amazonaws.com/af903a2a3c9de17d45dec42840ee72a8
https://wikifoundryimages.s3.amazonaws.com/XKZKIeRE6ASxT4sxSIz2wg259551
https://wikifoundryimages.s3.amazonaws.com/2OCSajjMZeqGsVcZYy7dYw248389
A wee hello to Big Jimmy!
HH
Due to the music fest on Glasgow Green, once again there are Thousands of scantily clad Females passing by my Living Room window…it happens every year.
Absolutely Shocking….
LOL
HH.
BIGRAILROADBLUES on 7TH JULY 2023 1:30 PM
Big Jimmy
Me and Brian M are going to Donegal next April. You are very welcome to join us. Brian is doing all the driving and paying for all the drink. I haven’t told him yet.
…………
I STILL dont have a Passport.
I have been reading about it on the Internet, and its a nightmare, as it appears that I would have to provide ALL SORTS of Documents ( My parents Marriage Certificate / Birth Lines etc ?) in order to apply for a Passport ?
I dont intend putting myself thru all that Hassle and Expense.
Cheers mate.
HH
SCULLYBHOY on 7TH JULY 2023 1:43 PM
A wee hello to Big Jimmy!
………
Hi there mate.
I hope that you and the good lady are fit and healthy.
HH.
MCPHAIL BHOY on 7TH JULY 2023 1:40 PM
…………
IF memory serves me correctly when SOUNESS took over at Liverpool, they introduced an almost ALL GRREN AWAY STRIP for the following season ?
Those angry Huns who were angry with Souness ditching them, became even more angrier with him and Liverpool and that all Green Kit.
LOL
HH
GREEN…Not GRREN.
I see that Singer PAUL HEATON left some money behind in Six Pubs in the CALTON, for the locals to have a few drinks on him etc….
He FAILED to do that in The SHIPBANK, as its NOT on the list of Pubs that he visited….
I always knew that he was a miserable Bassa ….
LOL
HH
Big shout to Moderator1888 for cracking down on these alternative exotic religions.
More shinty less shinto could be the way forward
Stokes an unbelievable player 🏏
we must temper our jotafeegasm with awareness of where it’s come from – this is not a good thing. We benefit from it now solely because we are run -with business expertise-solvently-with a staggeringly focussed scouting program.
whoever bought jota, in honour of walfrid, shove your spondulics up yer hole.
CORKCELT
That’s not quite what I said, but as the post was deleted, I’ll leave it at that.