Brendan Rodgers, the manager of Celtic, said he doesn’t think “there’s anyone better in world football” when it comes to pushing defenders than Daizen Maeda.
On Champions League Match of the Day, Joe Hart, a former teammate of the 26-year-old Japanese forward, singled him out for praise for “setting the tone” during Wednesday’s 5-1 thumping of Slovan Bratislava.
Rodgers also understands that his forwards should take some of the credit for giving up just two goals in seven games this season—all of which were wins.
He declared, “That’s where the game starts.” “I’ve read stories that the team is performing really well, with the goalie and the back four keeping clean sheets. “It begins in front.
And in that particular setting, I don’t think anyone plays world football better than Daizen Maeda.”
Rodgers played a clip from the Champions League highlights show on BBC Sport, in which Maeda’s challenge stopped a counterattack by Slovan.
The Japanese striker trailed the right-back prior to the ball being passed to a visiting center-back, then applied pressure to win the ball. The manager went on, “Most players won’t have the drive or desire to accomplish it.
He could have easily dropped that press. He didn’t have to do that one. He actually got to the centre-half before the guy that should have got there.
“It’s incredible – it’s unbelievable pressing. But that’s mentality.”
Did Maeda score Champions League goal of week?
Read more news on
sportchannel.co.uk
Leave a Reply