On Sunday, Celtic will resume their Scottish Premiership campaign when they head out of Parkhead to play Motherwell at Fir Park.
Rangers play before the Hoops this Saturday, so they might enter the game with a five-point advantage in first place, but if their opponents lose points, they could have a chance to overtake them at the top of the standings.
The Gers’ opportunity to move up to the top was made possible by Brendan Rodgers’ team, as they had not played well against Kilmarnock in the Premiership.
David Watson’s equalizer in stoppage time in Glasgow gave the visiting club a point after Kyogo Furuhashi had given the Bhoys the lead in the first half.
Japan international Daizen Maeda was one player that failed against Kilmarnock last weekend; as a result, he needs to be mercilessly benched to make room for January arrival Nicolas Kuhn.
The statistical performance of Daizen Maeda against Kilmarnock
The 26-year-old forward didn’t have much of an impact on the game despite being chosen to play on the right side of the attack with Kyogo and Adam Idah through the middle and Luis Palma on the left.
Maeda gave a lackluster effort and was substituted replaced by Rodgers after 68 minutes. Maeda had just returned from his nation’s international assignment.
During the game, the right-footed lightweight lost four of his six ground duels and one of his two aerial clashes when out of possession, making it very easy for the opponent to defeat him.
He didn’t do anything to assist Anthony Ralston, who finished the game with no tackles, interceptions, blocks, or clearances in 68 minutes at right back.
Maeda’s poor performance off the ball was matched by his inability to provide enough quality play at the top of the field to help his team win.
The table above shows that the opposition goal was not threatened by the Japan international. He did little to aid his teammates put pressure on Will Dennis between the sticks and gave the goalkeeper nothing to work with.
Sadly, Maeda’s poor performance was not an isolated incident; thus far this season, he has not contributed much for Celtic in the Premiership’s final third.
Numbers from Daizen Maeda’s season
The number 38 for the Hoops has not impressed, failing to score goals or provide assists for the Scottish powerhouses on a regular basis while playing on the wing.
Maeda has only scored three goals in 19 league games, and the dreg has wasted eight “big chances” in front of goal, demonstrating how lacking in finishing he is.
The fact that the inefficient attacker has more than twice as many huge chances squandered as goals scored indicates that the forward has not taken full advantage of the opportunities that his teammates have generated for him.
He hasn’t shown remarkable inventiveness to make up for his lackluster performance. In his 19 Premiership games, the Japanese jewel has only contributed two assists; four other strikers in the division have recorded more.
Maeda is tied for 20th place in the Celtic team’s key pass average after only 0.5 crucial passes per game in the Scottish Premier League thus far this season.
This indicates that the 26-year-old flanker hardly ever crosses the ball into the box or makes passes that give his teammates a chance to challenge the goalkeeper or score.
These figures collectively imply that the Ange Postecoglou acquisition has had difficulty becoming a consistent scorer and creator in the final third during the Premiership season thus far.
That and his lackluster performance against Kilmarnock the previous game are the reasons Rodgers has to mercilessly leave him out of the starting lineup for this match against Motherwell.
Why Maeda should be restarted by Nicolas Kuhn
Kuhn should be used from the off by the Northern Irish head coach rather than Maeda since the January acquisition has the ability to contribute more to the top of the pitch.
The 24-year-old wizard had a fantastic first half of the Bundesliga season until Celtic signed him during the most recent transfer window from Austrian team Rapid Wien.
The German standout made 1.8 crucial passes and produced 11 “big chances” in 16 games for his squad. His inventive play earned him five assists.
This return is far more remarkable than Maeda’s 19 Premiership games for Celtic, where he generated four “big chances” and made 0.5 crucial passes.
Consequently, the former youth product of Ajax and Bayern Munich may be able to contribute more skill as a creator, which may then result in more opportunities being created for players like Kyogo and Idah to find the back of the goal.
Kuhn, who was praised by Rodgers as a “dynamic” player, also demonstrated his ability to score goals in just his second game for the Hoops in January against Aberdeen, coming off the bench.
With the aid of a deflection, Idah held the ball up well inside the box and set up the winger for a powerful effort that found its way into the bottom right corner, giving the Bhoys a point for the match.
The 5 foot 9 dynamo only managed two goals in the Bundesliga for Rapid Wien, but in his younger years, he scored 24 goals in 35 games for the U17 team of RB Leipzig, demonstrating his quality as a forward.
In the closing third, Kuhn has the ability to score goals and be creative on the right wing. Rodgers will be trying to unleash this potential by cutting inside on Kuhn’s preferred left foot.
Another reason the gifted smart should start is that regular playing time could aid the young dynamo in settling in to Scotland as he obtains invaluable experience with new teammates and against Scottish competition.
Rodgers needs to switch up his starting lineup on Sunday to include Kuhn at the top of the pitch due to Maeda’s lackluster performances.
GET MORE NEWS HERE