By James Dailey As part of my first piece on Celtic by Numbers, I laid out my case as to why Odsonne Edouard’s talents and playing style would be better utilized with a strike partner – particularly one which plays in a more traditionally advanced and preferably central to centre right role. I was mistaken … [continue reading]
Manager Performance
Is 3-5-2 Working?
By James Dailey I believe an important aspect of being an analyst is to evaluate one’s work and be honest in that assessment. This is my 10th piece for Celtic by Numbers since Alan was gracious enough to allow me to share my work on his platform (I know superior talent when I see it! … [continue reading]
The Real Return of Lennyball
Article by James Dailey Is Neil Lennon the ultimate decision maker when it comes to the system and formations Celtic are deploying on the pitch? That seems like a silly question, and it may very well be. The only reason I ask it is due to the dramatic shift in how Celtic have played this … [continue reading]
Lennon and Rodgers In Europe – An Expected Goals Adventure
Article by James Dailey As I consume mainstream and fan-based Celtic-related media, I am constantly bombarded by “conventional wisdom” and provided with topics to analyze. Today’s subject is the often-repeated notion that Neil Lennon is a better and more pragmatic tactical manager than Brendan Rodgers- particularly in Europe. I believe much of this notion is … [continue reading]
Narrow Margins Loom for Lennon’s Legacy
A disappointing result, not to mention performance, is what lingers in the minds of Celtic supporters over the winter shut down. The old saying “you are only as good as your last result” is nevertheless a harsh lens through which to appraise Lennon’s performance over the season to date. Let’s attempt a more rounded assessment … [continue reading]
Lessons Learned From Livingston
Celtic have the rare luxury of a home 3pm start to get the SPFL campaign back on track again facing promoted Ross County. All have had two weeks to ponder the nightmare at Livingston. Lessons need to be learned. As I showed in Europe and Plastic Excuses, there is no basis in historical results to … [continue reading]
The Lennon Press
Under Rodgers, Celtic’s pressing effectiveness deteriorated season by season. With more emphasis on possession, or perhaps cumulative fatigue allied to the sheer number of games, it was less evident by season three. Lennon has reinvigorated Celtic’s press. Attacking Threat The starkest evidence is Passes Attempted Per Tackle (PAPT). Last season, Celtic’s opponents attempted 13.24 passes … [continue reading]
The (Partial) Death of Possession Football
A supposedly harrowing week ended with two comprehensives away victories. Success in Stockholm secured European football until year end. Triumph at Ibrox opened up an early SPFL lead, and punctured a seriously inflated Scottish media balloon. All good for Lennon and his new look side, but attained in a manner the Celtic support have not … [continue reading]
Do Lennon’s Demands Suit Brown?
A strangely economical performance against Hearts on Sunday was the latest in the new season for captain Brown. I detailed his slow, graceful but inexorable regression in my end of season review Brown: Growing Old Gracefully. 898 minutes into the new season, what has changed? Defending Firstly, there is continual decline in the number of … [continue reading]
Familiar Failings As Celtic Crash Out
Elimination from the Champions League will cast a long shadow over Celtic’s season. Much remains to play for, of course, but the errors here need to be openly discussed and avoided in future. I will say from the outset I have been a consistent critic of Celtic’s squad management over a number of seasons. This … [continue reading]