Football pundit Chris Sutton’s brutally shares honest verdict over the substitution of Daizen Maeda for the 28-year-old Celtic F.C. Forward during half-time in Belgrade

It hasn’t been the kind of season opener Daizen Maeda or Celtic would have hoped for.

While his quality is unquestionable and patience is needed, the 1-1 Europa League draw with Red Star Belgrade proved tough for the Japanese forward. With Shin Yamada not registered for the competition, Johnny Kenny unavailable, and Kelechi Iheanacho left on the bench, Brendan Rodgers opted to start Maeda up front.

However, Rodgers replaced him with Iheanacho at half-time after a disappointing first half, sparking plenty of discussion. The situation is complicated by the fact that Maeda had pushed for a summer exit, a stance that became public after the transfer window closed.

That uncertainty hasn’t helped, though Chris Sutton has suggested Rodgers might be better off using Maeda in his more natural role out wide. His performance numbers against Red Star didn’t make for good reading, with WhoScored rating him just below six.

Maeda’s stats vs Red Star:

• Shots: 0

• Touches: 7

• Unsuccessful touches: 1

• Offsides: 2

• Passes: 4

• Passing accuracy: 75%

• Rating: 5.96

With Iheanacho finding the net again, there will be growing calls for him to lead the line instead, given his natural instincts as a striker.

Sutton voiced sympathy for Maeda on social media, stressing that he’s being played out of position:
“Maeda off… if he’s not injured, I feel for him. A player who was outstanding out wide is now being forced into a role that doesn’t suit him.”