Martin O’Neill has to drop abysmal player if Celtic are to win title, his stats were dreadful vs Falkirk
Celtic remained in the Scottish Premiership title race with a 1-0 win over Falkirk on Wednesday. However, it was far from a memorable display.
Plenty of Celtic’s players were simply not good enough against Falkirk as they scrapped three points.
With Hearts putting in another outstanding performance as they beat St Mirren, it is clear that another gear is needed if the Hoops are to catch the Jam Tarts.
One star who has not been good enough for weeks now is Daizen Maeda, and now Martin O’Neill has to seriously consider dropping the attacker.
Celtic have to drop Daizen Maeda after awful display vs Falkirk
Maeda has already had a mixed season for Celtic.
The Japanese international was their star man last season as he found the net with ease.
However, in recent matches, the attacker’s form has been dire, and this was on show once again against Falkirk.
According to Fotmob on 14 January, Maeda was dispossessed twice, completed 72 per cent of his passes and won just 17 per cent of his ground duels against Falkirk.
| Daizen Maeda stats vs Falkirk | |
| Minutes | 90 |
| Shots | 2 |
| xG | 0.17 |
| Passing completion | 72% |
| Disspossessed | 2 |
| Ground duels won | 17% |
| Fouls committed | 2 |
It was a dreadful display, and now O’Neill has to drop the attacker for the forseeable future.
Better opponents will take advantage of Maeda’s poor form, which could result in more points being dropped.
Therefore, if Celtic want to remain in the race for the Scottish Premiership title, Maeda has to go onto the bench.
Kieron Bowie could save Celtic
One of the big issues with Celtic potentially dropping Maeda is the lack of alternatives O’Neill has up front.
Injuries have limited the manager’s options, which has perhaps allowed the 28-year-old to get away with his poor performances.
“I would be astonished if Hibs sell him in January” 🗣️
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) January 14, 2026
Alan Hutton and @mstewart_23 on where Kieron Bowie’s future might lie with increasing interest in the Hibernian player 👀
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However, Football Insider recently revealed that Celtic, alongside Rangers, are in the race for Kieron Bowie.
The Hibs striker has been in fine form this season and has already netted eight times in the Scottish Premiership this season.
Therefore, if O’Neill is able to get this signing of the line, it could fix their problem up top once and for all.