Ross McCormack firmly believes that Daizen Maeda of Celtic is not suited to playing as a central striker. Despite being placed in that role after Kyogo’s departure in January, Celtic saw significant success as Maeda scored 31 goals in all competitions last season, showcasing a vast improvement in his finishing under Ange Postecoglou. However, the 27-year-old has struggled to find form at the start of this season, failing to score in a lackluster match against Rangers.
During Celtic’s game against Rangers, Maeda started up front with Balikwisha and Nygren on the wings, leading McCormack to assert that Maeda is not a true striker. This opinion was expressed on the Open Goal podcast, where McCormack, along with former Celtic players Slane and Ferry, discussed Maeda’s positioning and abilities.
Despite Maeda’s impressive goal tally last season, McCormack remains unconvinced of his striking abilities due to key missed opportunities in crucial matches. This season’s slow start for Maeda has left Celtic in a precarious position, especially after failing to secure a quality striker on transfer deadline day. With Maeda struggling for goals and limited central striker options, Celtic’s hopes may rest on targeting players like Kelechi Iheanacho to strengthen their attacking line-up.
