Last night’s friendly for James Forrest’s testimonial was another useful work out against high calibre opponents. All Celtic’s preseason opponents are of a higher standard than most SPFL clubs as the ELO ratings would indicate. Given the mix of higher-level opponent, multiple lineup changes, integration of new players and injury disruption, it is not surprising … [continue reading]
Manager Performance
Rodgers’ Celtic Transfer Record
Another discussion point on the excellent Huddle Breakdown chat with Leicester City fan and data analyst Dominic Wells was Brendan Rodgers mixed recruitment record. There are very few if any managers who get every deal right, and these days, with Directors of Football (official and unofficial) and global scouting networks, and databases galore, it is … [continue reading]
Taylor, Rodgers and Inverting
On the most recent episode of the Huddle Breakdown podcast we had an excellent guest Dominic Wells. Dominic is a data analyst and supporter of Leicester City. He was highly knowledgeable and balanced about Brendan Rodgers time at the club. Dominic revealed that in the last season under Rodgers in 2022-23, the manager had introduced … [continue reading]
Injury Trends and Red Flags
On the latest Huddle Breakdown podcast we were asked about the pros and cons should Brendan Rodgers be appointed next Celtic manager. @jucojames discussed the injury profile and attitudes to risk prevalent at Celtic with reference to Kieran Tierney and playing through pain. It reminded me that since July 2019 I had be highlighting the … [continue reading]
The End of the Age of Ange
Ange Postecoglou is the new manager of Tottenham Hotspur. This ends a two-year reign at Celtic that culminated in a record eighth domestic treble, and five Scottish trophies won out of six. More than the largely positive footballing outcomes, Postecoglou has united the team and the support through a consistent brand of high energy attacking … [continue reading]
Relentless, By Numbers
On this week’s Huddle Breakdown (please subscribe on whatever channel you consume your podcasts) @jucojames spelt out how some of Celtic’s key metrics have declined since the World Cup hiatus. And they are some core metrics, for sure. Looking at Scottish matches only, expected goals (xG) is down from 2.99 to 2.82. Celtic are having … [continue reading]
Giakoumakis, Juranovic and Occam’s Razor
Novacula Occami or Occam’s Razor is a principle that the simplest explanation is often the most likely to be correct. It is a principle applied to problem solving. The problem many Celtic supporters are trying to solve is why the club would seemingly sell two valued first team players so cheaply. Firstly, global go-to transfer … [continue reading]
Rodgers, Lennon, Postecoglou and Spain
The World Cup has thrown up many interesting matches and the penalty win by Morocco over Spain seemed especially notable. Despite 77 percent possession, and completing 926 passes with 91 percent accuracy, Spain mustered 13 shots, with seven being on target but the total xG for all that was a paltry 1.01. An average of … [continue reading]
A Lead into Temptation
The February derby at Celtic Park was a wonderful, raucous, pedal-to-the-metal, under the lights night for Celtic. Postecoglou’s new Celtic tore into Van Bronckhorst’s reigning Champions from the first minute and had established a 3-0 lead by half time. More importantly, Celtic had been utterly dominant playing the style of football the Australian espouses. By … [continue reading]
The Second Half Danger Zone
Celtic have the best defensive record in the SPFL both in terms of goals conceded (15 in 26) and in xGA (0.65 per 90m). Despite this Celtic are on track for conceding a goal a game overall (41 in 44) mainly due to early season European profligacy. The Mid Half Blip More specifically, the recent … [continue reading]