Celtic have made a huge decision on Daizen Maeda after club being forced to release a statement after Japan vs Scotland match
O’Neill can drop Maeda by unleashing Celtic’s new Juranovic
One of the areas in which Celtic need to improve after the international break is how many chances they create and how many goals they score.
After 31 matches, Martin O’Neill’s side have scored 56 goals in the Scottish Premiership. They would need to score 41 goals in the remaining seven matches, averaging 5.8 goals per game, to equal last season’s goal tally.
Benjamin Nygren, who has scored 15 league goals, is the only Celtic player who has made it into double figures for goals in the Premiership this term.
In the 2024/25 campaign, Reo Hatate, Kyogo Furuhashi, Adam Idah, Nicolas Kuhn, and Daizen Maeda all scored at least ten league goals for Brendan Rodgers.
Unfortunately, Celtic have failed to adequately replace Idah, Kuhn, and Kyogo, whilst Hatate and Maeda have been unable to keep up their goalscoring exploits.
Why Celtic should drop Daizen Maeda
Maeda started on the left flank in the 2-0 defeat to Dundee United at Tannadice Park last time out in the Premiership, missing one ‘big chance’ near the end of the match.
The Japan international has now gone ten matches without a goal or an assist to his name in the league for the Scottish giants, despite starting eight of those games and playing the full 90 in five of them.
He was the Premiership Player of the Year for the 2024/25 campaign, scoring 16 goals and providing ten assists, but the forward has only scored seven goals from 12.22 xG in the division so far this term.
Maeda has been far too wasteful in front of goal, underperforming his xG by roughly five goals, and it may finally be time for O’Neill to drop the Japanese flop from the starting line-up.
The 28-year-old attacker missed one ‘big chance’ and created 0.02 xA in the loss to Dundee United, which should see him dropped from the team to play Dundee this weekend.
The Celtic star who could replace Daizen Maeda
As aforementioned, Celtic have struggled at the top end of the pitch throughout the campaign, so it may make sense to try something different for the last seven games of the season.
Instead of doing what they have done so far, like playing Sebastian Tounekti out wide in place of Maeda, O’Neill could unearth the club’s new version of Josip Juranovic.
During his time at Parkhead, the Croatia international played at left-back, right-back, on the wing, and as a central midfielder, although the bulk of his appearances came at right-back.
Now, Marcelo Saracchi could emerge as Celtic’s new version of Juranovic by replacing Maeda on the left wing against Dundee, as he is a similarly technically-gifted full-back who could play in various positions.
The Boca Juniors loanee has only played as a left-back during his time at Parkhead to date, but he has played 63 career games as a left winger, providing nine assists in those matches.
Even playing as a left-back, Saracchi has showcased his offensive qualities during his time with Celtic, scoring one goal from eight shots and creating two ‘big chances’ in eight league starts.
The Uruguay international ranks in the top 12% of full-backs in the league for xA per 90 (0.27) and the top 16% for chances created per 90 (1.81), which shows that he has been one of the standout offensive threats among full-backs in the Premiership.
Saracchi, who ranks in the top 10% for successful crosses per 90 (1.96), is a left-back who likes to push forward and make things happen at the top end of the pitch, through taking shots, putting in crosses, and creating chances for his teammates.
That is why he could be an interesting option on the left flank, which is a position that he has played in the past during his time in South America, ahead of the likes of Maeda and Tounekti, who have failed to deliver consistency in the final third.
There is no guarantee that he will step into that position and provide goals and assists on a regular basis, but the Hoops do not have many other options outside of a transfer window and they need to do something to improve their goal output.
Therefore, unleashing Saracchi as Celtic’s new Juranovic could be one way to address the lack of creativity and goals at the top end of the pitch for this weekend’s clash with Dundee, dropping Maeda for the loanee.
