Brendan Rodgers has some big calls to make ahead of Celtic’s return Champions League leg against Bayern Munich.
There would have been mixed emotions from Celtic’s defeat to Bayern on Wednesday night because the opening 45 minutes were rather lacklustre.
But, the home side ended the game strong and, in the end, it was Vincent Kompany’s side praying for the full-time whistle.
The interesting thing here is that Rodgers opted to start a front three of goalscorer Daizen Maeda, with the in-form Adam Idah down the middle and Nicolas Kuhn patrolling the right flank.
Maeda’s suspension being reduced meant that he could play the first leg at Celtic Park, but it was a case of where.
Some wanted the Japan star to play down the middle from the get-go, but that only happened in the second half when Jota was introduced into the action.
One thing is for sure, it changed the way Celtic played and it has now got Stiliyan Petrov and Kris Boyd talking.
Celtic should start Daizen Maeda down the middle vs Bayern Munich
Celtic need goals, but they also need to be wary that they can’t start like they did in Dortmund or Villa Park, or else, the tie will be over before half-time.
But Petrov and Boyd were lauding the ‘incredible’ Maeda after he netted his fourth Champions League goal of the campaign and 22nd goal in all competitions.
The duo want to see the all-action winger start down the middle, with Petrov even stating, ‘I don’t know what he is’, as he told the Warm-Up.
“When you look at Celtic’s team, the pace that they have got, would frighten anyone,” said Boyd. “You can’t defend against pace – but Maeda, it’s incredible. It’s just incredible.”
Petrov responded: “I don’t know what he is – this specific game, I think so (Maeda is better down the middle). I believe the way Bayern Munich play everything goes through their centre-backs.
“I think when you have Maeda through the middle, it gives you a worry because when you play against players like that, your midfield, everything goes through that middle. Everything starts from there.
“You have to be very aware of the way you are passing the ball. You aren’t allowed to lose the ball because, as soon as you lose the ball, everything over the top, Maeda will get it and that’s what happened.
“As soon as he went through the middle, he just gave that little bit more directness and went for the goal quicker. With Idah, it’s a bit more of a match for the centre-backs.
Celtic improvement after Kyogo Furuhashi’s exit
Remember, Celtic haven’t yet replaced Kyogo Furuhashi and you presume that will now come in the summer.
But, so far, his exit hasn’t been felt and one of the reasons behind that is the form of Maeda, who just can’t stop scoring, whether it’s from the left flank or down the middle.
Boyd stated that, whilst he questioned Celtic’s call to let Kyogo go during the January transfer window, he thinks the team as a whole has ‘improved’ with Maeda as the central forward.
“I was very vocal on Kyogo leaving,” said Boyd. “When you actually take a step back and think about it.
“Maeda is Japan’s number one striker. Kyogo can’t even get into the squad. There is an argument there to say that Celtic could improve.
“Yes, it would be different. Kyogo is a better finisher. He will sniff things out and he has that instinct as a striker.
“But, for the games we are speaking about right now, especially away to Bayern Munich, Maeda would cause them problems. As a midfielder, if you know the ball is coming in and you have got pressure on you, then you can just hook it around. He will go. He will chase.
