Celtic were lethargic in a vastly disappointing goalless draw with St. Johnstone on Saturday afternoon. The Bhoys were not at it all in the stalemate.
Brendan Rodgers needs to get his side up and running sooner rather than later, particularly with an upcoming trip to Ibrox and a European campaign on the horizon. Things could get ugly for the Hoops if they don’t improve, something Daizen Maeda believes they need to do on last year’s Champions League exploits.
Speaking post-St. Johnstone, the attacker said (Glasgow Times): “Last season after the draw, I was very excited with the opponents that we got. However, we didn’t win any games, so we ended up very disappointed. So, this year, again, I am looking forward to the draw but when it comes to the games we have to play very well and get wins.”
With just two points from six matches in the competition in 2022/23, the Bhoys know they need to do better in the new season. They did play well and create opportunities, but they were in no way clinical enough.
Maeda spoke about this, indeed saying his team have to do better in both defence and attack. He said: “Individually, and as a team, we had chances, even though that was only on a few occasions. In this kind of competition, if we have a chance we have to put it away. And if we give a chance away, we have to defend it very well. So, from both viewpoints, we have to prove better than last year.”
Improving on previous European exploits will be of high priority to Maeda. He had several chances in the Champions League last time but never seemed to take any.
