Bobby Petta’s insightful reflections on Daizen Maeda’s shift from a winger to a more central attacking role at Celtic highlight a fascinating evolution in the Japanese forward’s career. Petta, a former Celtic winger who enjoyed memorable spells at the club during the late 1990s and early 2000s, has expressed some initial reservations about Maeda’s effectiveness in his early days at Celtic Park. Petta’s observations shed light on how, at first, he wasn’t entirely convinced that Maeda’s pace and playing style would be best suited for the wing position. The Japanese international’s extraordinary speed was evident from the beginning, but Petta felt that Maeda’s runs lacked the sharpness and timing needed to fully capitalize on his natural abilities.

When Maeda first arrived at Celtic, many saw him as a dynamic option on the wing, providing width and stretching the opposition with his blistering pace. However, Petta’s initial impression was that the winger’s running, despite being incredibly fast, was often not as effective as it could have been. He suggested that Maeda’s movements needed more purpose, as he sometimes appeared to lack awareness of when to time his runs, which limited his impact on the game. Petta, who had a deep understanding of the role of a winger, pointed out that Maeda, with his sheer speed, could be so much more dangerous if he was able to make more intelligent runs, either coming short to receive the ball or making longer, direct sprints to get behind the defense.

In a conversation with Brendan Rodgers at a charity game, Petta voiced his thoughts to the Celtic manager. He candidly expressed that Maeda needed to work on his movement in order to truly unlock his potential. He explained that Maeda’s speed was an asset, but that he often found himself “standing here,” unable to fully utilize his momentum. Petta’s suggestion was simple: Maeda needed to learn to vary his runs, to mix it up and be more unpredictable in his movements. The idea was that, with his pace, Maeda could outrun defenders and create goal-scoring opportunities if he made smarter, more varied runs. Petta’s comments show a great deal of insight into the mechanics of playing wide and the need for intelligent, purposeful movement to be effective in such a role.

Brendan Rodgers, a manager with a reputation for maximizing player potential, seemed to recognize Maeda’s potential as a striker, despite initially deploying him as a winger. Rodgers’ acknowledgement of Maeda’s striker instincts became even more apparent as the season progressed. As Petta observed, Rodgers saw Maeda’s shift into a central role as the right call, as it allowed the forward to fully embrace the attributes that made him stand out: his incredible speed, his directness, and his ability to make runs into dangerous positions. Petta noted that the change to a central role allowed Maeda to have more freedom, and the transformation has been noticeable in his performances.

Maeda’s shift into the centre has allowed him to become a more dangerous and complete attacking threat. Instead of being confined to the wing, where he was often forced to rely on service from others and limited by the width of the pitch, Maeda now has more space to exploit. The central position gives him the freedom to make those devastating, direct runs at the heart of opposition defences. His ability to use his blistering pace to stretch defences and his improved timing in making runs have made him an increasingly potent forward. His natural finishing ability has also come to the forefront in this role, and it’s clear that Maeda’s potential as a striker is now being fully realized.

This shift has been a game-changer not just for Maeda but also for Celtic. With Kyogo Furuhashi’s departure in January, Maeda has stepped up and shown that he can fill the gap left by the Japanese striker. His performances in the centre have been consistently impressive, and he has quickly become one of the most reliable attacking options for Celtic. The transformation has allowed Maeda to play to his strengths, particularly his speed and clinical finishing, and it’s exciting for Celtic supporters to see how he’s thriving in this new role.

Petta’s prediction that Maeda was always more suited to playing as a striker now seems remarkably prescient. From the outset, Petta had an instinct that Maeda’s skillset was best suited to the role of a central forward, rather than as a traditional winger. It’s clear that Maeda’s development has been accelerated by this positional shift, and the results speak for themselves. He’s scoring goals, creating chances, and becoming an indispensable part of Celtic’s attacking setup. His natural pace, combined with his ability to make the right runs, has made him a nightmare for defenders, and he’s now showing the kind of form that many fans had hoped for from him when he first arrived at the club.

As the central role has brought out the best in Maeda, it also raises questions about the future of Celtic’s attacking strategy. With Maeda now firmly entrenched as the central forward, it’s worth considering whether Celtic will look to bring in another striker to complement him, or if they’ll continue to build their attacking unit around him. It’s possible that Celtic may seek another traditional striker to add depth and provide competition, especially considering the demands of both domestic and European competitions. However, given Maeda’s success in the central role, it seems likely that Celtic will continue to build around him in the future, trusting his ability to lead the line.

For Celtic fans, watching Daizen Maeda’s transformation into a clinical striker has been a thrilling journey. His shift from the wing to the centre has unlocked a whole new level of potential, and his performances in Kyogo’s absence have been instrumental in keeping Celtic’s attacking threat potent. It’s clear that Maeda’s evolution as a player has taken him up a gear, and the future looks bright for him and the team. The exciting prospect now is how Maeda will continue to develop in this role, and whether he can maintain his high standards as Celtic push for more trophies both domestically and in Europe.

In conclusion, Bobby Petta’s observations about Daizen Maeda’s shift into a central attacking role provide a fascinating perspective on the forward’s growth. Petta’s early concerns about Maeda’s movement on the wing were justified, but the positional change has allowed the Japanese forward to fully harness his speed, intelligence, and finishing ability. With the support of Brendan Rodgers and the coaching staff, Maeda has transformed into a striker who can now be relied upon to lead Celtic’s attack. For Celtic supporters, this transformation is an exciting development, and it’s clear that Maeda has found his place in the team, providing a glimpse of even greater things to come.