In 2 ½ seasons, Rodgers has lost just 8 domestic matches. Half of them were in the initial part of this current season. There were none in his first 16 months of Scottish matches but 8 in the last 13 months. What can we learn from those defeats? Defeats A reminder of the domestic loses, … [continue reading]
Manager Performance
Ringing The Changes
6 personnel changes at Kilmarnock and another disappointing display. Rodger’s stated on Tuesday that changes may not be helping team stability. Is he right? Making changes when playing over 60 matches in 4 (or 5!) competitions when competing continuously from July to May surely makes sense. Players need to recharge and get over niggles. Changes … [continue reading]
Delivery Failure
There can be no denying Celtic’s current form is poor compared to previous trophy-laden seasons. I will look at a range of key performance indicators to see where it might be going wrong. I have plotted each metric per game back to the start of last season (2017/18). I did not include the 2016/17 season … [continue reading]
League Performance Regression? Yes. Here’s Why.
Celtic have won 20% less points in the SPFL than at this stage last season. To be fair, winning 97% of available points is almost an impossible target to exceed. Whilst this hardly constitutes a crisis, or even a slump, it is worth assessing what has changed, in the spirit of continual improvement. The Glossary … [continue reading]
Half Term Report 1: No Hard Brexit Despite Performances
The “big picture” shows European football after the New Year. All macro objectives met. But our own eyes tell us Celtic’s performances have not always met the highs of last season. Celtic lost 5 matches all season in 16/17 and have lost 7 already this. To stand still is to inevitably go backwards. We seek … [continue reading]
Celtic Transfers – Is Rodgers Changing the Strategy?
20th October 2004, and Celtic slump to defeat in the Champions League as a result of three second half goals from expensive Brazilians, in Ukraine. Shakhtar Donesk triumphed 3-0. It is claimed this crystallised Celtic board room resolve to change policy on team recruitment and cost. A recent share issue had cleared significant debts as … [continue reading]
The 12th Man
Brendan Rodgers was appointed Celtic manager on 23rd May 2016. The Deila reign had run out of momentum, increasingly characterised by sluggish performances in big games, and a one paced, predictable brand of football. My reaction to the appointment of Rodgers was one of curiosity. Not being overly familiar with Rodgers, and not considering “lifelong … [continue reading]
The Start of Something Beautiful?
Both Deila and Rodgers got their Celtic careers underway as winners with League Cup triumphs. CBN takes a comparative look at their respective campaigns. The 2014/15 and 2016/17 campaigns took place wholly in Glasgow for Celtic with 2 games at Paradise and 2 at Hampden. Celts played 3 Premier League teams and 1 lower league … [continue reading]