Thirty-Eight Never Stops

サーティーエイトは決して止まらない (sear tee eight wa kesshite tomara nai) by Ross Hall

Introduction

First off, I’m praying Google translate hasn’t done me up like a kipper……

On the 2^nd of September 2021 I posted the below post on a fan forum.

(We eventually went on to signed 2 of the 5 mentioned. Daizen and Reo – both of whom have given us plenty of value for the money spent in my opinion. Ueda is now at PSV Eindhoven after a good spell in Belgium and the other two players are in the J-League).

Ange Postecoglou had arrived and we were on a new and exciting journey, but our squad was thin and it didn’t take long to see that despite a busy first transfer window he needed to add more players who were going to not only fit his style, but flourish in it. Daizen Maeda was a player who had been to Europe previously (Portugal) and then moved back to Japan to play for Ange. Some sceptics looked and felt that as he’d failed in Europe this was a big risk or bad move. At the time my only thought having not seen his spell in Europe was that the Yokohama footage showed me what I could only describe as a Duracell Bunny. Energy, pace and a real goal threat. That and Ange knew him and had achieved positive results with him as a vital part of his high octane, high press and speedy attacking style in the J-League.

Others who had worked with Daizen described him as a machine, and as a player who doesn’t give his opponent a moment of peace. He has the speed of a 100-metre sprinter and the stamina and endurance levels of a long-distance runner. The Japanese Olympic team must be gutted that he didn’t fancy that route.

So, if Ange could get all the things Daizen was giving to Yokohama and find a way to transition it into Scottish football then we would be on to a winner. 7 medals later… I think it’s safe to say Daizen won, and so have we.

Where it started

31^st of December 2021. Daizen Maeda was a Celtic player on loan with an obligation to buy. His first few months were decent. The output in terms of goals and assists were sound. In the league 14 starts, 6 goals and 5 assists. There was an element of him that understandably looked like a player who was finding his feet in our environment and that would be vital both on and off the pitch. He’d just come off the back of a full season in the J-League which runs Feb to November/Dec so that was also going to be a factor in how he would be used by Ange over the final 4 and half months of the season.

A new team, new language and culture along with a young family at home. It’s a situation that sees many players struggle, yet he showed more than enough for the rumoured fee of around 1.5 to 2 million to be worth it. The key element to it all was he knew the manager had trust in him.

Where we are today

4 seasons in brings us to today. Daizen has seen a new manager, some teammates go, some new ones come in and we’ve seen many wonderful Daizen moments and hairstyles. The most important and wonderful thing about him over the 4 years is that no matter who he’s played under or with, his output in terms of energy has been scary and his numbers have always hit double figures for goal contributions over all competitions. Yet despite all the positives there was always voices who put a question mark over Daizens technical abilities, often ignoring the positives and focussing on a missed chance or looking at him and saying he’s not like Jota. Many wondered if he would he last under Brendan Rodgers who arguably puts a little more emphasis on the technical skills than Ange did for the role Daizen was being asked to play….

This season Daizen has put that question to bed, to the point where some people who have been vocal critics of him over the years should be embarrassed to say his name without waving a white flag in recognition of just how wrong they’ve been to suggest that he’d be easily replaced or that he hasn’t been a vital part of the team during his time with us. We’ve had 2 managers work with him and both have continually played him in the biggest games and never missed an opportunity to praise the work he does for the team.

Whether it be off the left side or more recently as our primary number 9, he has been what I believe the Japanese call sugoi (amazing). He has flaws, as all players do but his effort and desire to play and win with us has never once been in doubt. Whether it be 3 games per week for us or travelling to Asia and back for international duty, he’s always ready to put those Hoops on and put in a shift.

It could be argued that his recent move into the number 9 role has seen his level get even better. With the pressure he can bring from a central area being even more apparent and valuable to the team because he has more freedom to bring that pressure like an elite defensive tackle in the NFL hunting the Quarter Back around the pitch. That explosive pace and intensity must have opposition defenders praying that he for once got tired after doing his pre-match jog from Glasgow to Tobermory where he gets a few minutes of sea air and then sprints from there to whichever ground we are playing at, probably still beats the team bus.

The great thing about this central role is that it’s not just right backs or right sided central defenders who are in his sights and stood in fear. It’s an entire defence. Three-, four- or five-man defences with that Jaws music playing in their head, knowing what’s coming if they dilly dally on that ball for an extra second. Duunnn dunnn… duuuunnnn duun… duuunnnnnnnn dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnn dunnnn…. (Loud screams of panic then silence, like every breathe is being held in………. mass hysteria and tequila/Maeda)


Tannoy announcer: Goal scored by number 38 Daizennnnnnnn Maedaaaaaaaaaaa

Captain disappointed vs The man who haunts him on the pitch and in his nightmares

On the attacking side of things, it pains me to say it but James McFadden (please hand me the puke bucket before I type this….) and Kris Boyd made a fair point after the win against St. Mirren. When Daizen plays centrally and gets in on goal, he is looking calmer, much like he did when he was at Yokohama Marinos. Now I am no striker, I’m in the defenders union… anything over the halfway line was never a happy place for me as I couldn’t shoot to save myself. That’s more than enough of my failed playing days, back to Daizen….

A big part of what I’ve observed and considered is that is when Daizen breaks in off the wing, he was often still in Ange mode of play fast, execute fast and he often still had players rushing over to try and shut him down, so his foot was to the floor to get him in on goal as quickly as possible. That can result in more unpredictable outcomes at his speed, but when he breaks in now, especially centrally those players are out of the picture and will only be seen in his metaphorical rearview mirror and under Rodgers he seems to have found that calm this season that reminds him that his 4^th and 3^rd gears are still faster than most players 5^th. That is allowing for him to reduce the pace from 100mph down to 70mph, lift his head, get a look at the situation, pick his spot and execute. In doing so he’s getting into better positions with better angles, seeing a bigger picture and the results are more consistent. Thus, his goal tally has increased in line with that. 26 goals and 8 assists at time of writing.

Daizen Maeda – Shot Map 24/25 SPFL (Scouting Stats AI)

As a striker we also get to see that his speed isn’t just over distance, he has that quick 2,3,4 or 5-yard dash in him that is so effective when you are the central striker. It gets him from back post to front, or from the edge of the box to the penalty spot before any defender has had time to call out his name in anger. As we see from the graphic above most of his shots and goals are now coming from him getting between the posts. Less attempts from the narrow angles, unfortunately I don’t have previous seasons shot maps but I think from memory a lot would more would be from left post to left side and without wanting to get too geeky on you, his xG chances are better if he’s shooting within the width of the posts.

This last element is also vital. While I am delighted to portray him as a pressure monster, there are also opportunities now in the central zone where he can do a little less which is a positive. Only tracking back when we are really up against it, and that leaves more in the tank for when he does get on the end of things. More energy, more clarity and better choices made in the vital moments.

The value in all of this is that during the transfer window we all yearned for a striker, Rodgers included and felt an element of disappointment that one didn’t appear, but what we appear to be witnessing is Daizen making himself that man. What we might need going forward now could be another left winger to compete with Jota because Striker Edition Daizen might just be making himself just to good in that area to consider moving him back out wide. Rodgers and his staff must be giving more than a passing thought to the role they see Daizen playing in this season and beyond having seen him have such a big impact as the 9.

Data Alert

Just a little bit for the stattos amongst you: Daizen ranks in the top percentiles in SPFL for metrics used on Wyscout for attackers who have played over 1200 minutes (Image courtesy of Ben Griffis). It compares him against Left Wingers as that’s where he’s played the majority of his minutes, so it’s not a total picture but it gives you a good idea of how he looks in the data world.

Summary

At 27, Daizen is hitting those peak years and he is here with us tearing up the SPFL and causing it in the Champions League against some top opposition. Opposition defenders and maybe even our own defenders in training are having to make a rota on who has to keep up with him next. Pundits on nearly every channel covering every competition we are featured in openly recognise him as one of the best pressure forward players in the game, and now he’s producing top level end product with goals against the likes of Bayern, Brugge and Dortmund and being talked about positively by a Bayern dressing room full of top-class players because he is top class at what he does best. If Vincent Kompany makes the call, then his time in the UK should make it easy for him to understand the response of “bolt ya rocket”.

Daizen Quick. Photographers took these 2 pics 0.000005 seconds apart

An Extra Bit

The thinking behind this article stemmed from the last article I wrote for CU (Next Steps…) and an idea put to me by Harry about looking at the difference between Kyogo Furahashi and Daizen Maeda. I didn’t feel it’s one I could write without driving myself insane as I have much man love for both, and they are 2 very different players who play in totally different ways. We have seen their best periods come under 2 different managers which shows that setups and relationships do matter, and that football isn’t just plug and play.

Some are now saying Kyogo who, and looking to pick holes in a fantastic few years as a Celtic player as if he’s all of a sudden become a poor player. Personally, I won’t ever say that as Kyogo was a player who gave us all so many wonderful moments and was a great part of what has been a very successful period. However, it’s great be able to write this and say that another member of our very own Samurai Midori to Shiro (Green & White) has ensured that we’ve not felt the pain that could have been suffered when Kyogo left. Daizen has always been important to us, and now we are seeing it in Super HD because we were looking for a striker to step up into the place our magic mushroom left. Daizen has been that player. Scoring goals, creating chances and just being a fantastic player in a great vein of form, and you could argue that he has sprinted ahead of Nicolas Kuhn for POTY awards, no one seen that coming, and then that’s Daizen in a nutshell.

Daizen has 2 more years on the latest deal he signed in 2023 that take him to the summer of 2027. I hope we see Daizen wearing green and white hoops for a while yet. Scoring goals, causing havoc in opposition defences and many more occasions where he and his adorable young family are strolling round Celtic Park and Hampden with more medals to add to his collection.


読んでくれてありがとう (Yonde kurete arigatō - Thanks for reading)

Ross Hall writing for ケルトの地下 (kelt no chika – Celtic Underground)