DAIZEN MAEDA had EIGHT touches of the ball before Brendan Rodgers withdrew him at the interval in Celtic’s 1-1 stalemate against Red Star Belgrade in the opening Europa League encounter.
It was another slipshod performance by the Japanese international who has scored only two goals in his last 15 games after completing last season with the remarkable haul of 33 strikes as he picked up multiple Player of the Year awards.
However, after firing blanks in the last five outings of the previous campaign and just a double this time around, questions are being asked about his commitment to the champions.
Maeda, of course, believed he was on the move from Parkhead before the proposed switch fell through on deadline day because Rodgers couldn’t find a suitable replacement.
FEELING DOWN…Daizen Maeda reflects on his late miss in Kazakhstan.
Former Celtic Euro heroes Stiliyan Petrov, Chris Sutton and Johan Mjally, who all played significant roles in Martin O’Neill’s side march to the UEFA Cup Final in Seville in 2003, watched the player in action last night.
One-time Bulgrian international midfielder Petrov said: “I feel sorry for Maeda. He looks confused.
“If I’m a striker, I’m frustrated. I don’t know what to do. I come short, the ball doesn’t come.
“I go long, the ball doesn’t come. Then I stand still to see what’s happening around me, but nothing is happening.'”
Petrov, speaking to TNT Sports, continued: “Sometimes you have to be vocal.
“He’s been in the team long enough to say: ‘I want the ball, I want to be involved.'”
Former England hitman Sutton took to social media to say: “Maeda off. If he’s not injured, I feel for him.
“A guy who was a revelation playing wide shoehorned into playing a position he’s not comfortable in… surely playing him off the right would be better.
“Thirty-three goals last season. A bit of a pickle Celtic are in.”
FLAT OUT…Kelechi Iheanacho is denied by Red star keeper Matheus.
At the end of the contest, Sutton remarked: “Draw about right.
“Celtic better with Iheanacho as centre-forward as they have a focal point and someone to play off. Need to utilise Maeda better…”
Ex-Swedish defender Mjällby added: “We all know that Daizen Maeda is not the Celtic striker.
“He doesn’t really have the movement or the understanding of that position.
“He’s not a central striker. He’s not that kind of player.
“He can play there if Celtic are going on the counter-attack and there’s going to be acres of space because of his running power.
“That’s why for me, he’s a winger.
“He showed last season he can compete against the best in Europe, but centrally? No.”
