The mid term reports focus now on the midfield and wingers. I covered Brown in Brown: A Never Ending Story as he has a unique role in the side. Let’s now consider the rest of the midfield. PS I will include Brown in this for completeness. Celtic’s midfield and wide attack has largely been about … [continue reading]
Player Performance
Brown: A Never Ending Story
It feels like I have been writing about the decline of Brown for some time now. But here we are with the captain playing the equivalent of 35.22 matches this season. The dependency on him seems no less onerous. How is he continuing to rage against the dying of the light? Defensive Performance What I … [continue reading]
Rare Centre Back Continuity Brings Reward
The Mid-term report series turns its beady attention to the centre back position. This part of the team has been a problem for Celtic for many years in terms of injury and lack of continuity. This season saw Ajer and Simunovic prepped to start the European qualifiers by being installed as first choice at the … [continue reading]
Patient Taylor Deserves His Chance
The right back review was a delicious stew of contradiction and intrigue, or as they probably still say in Somerset, a bugger’s muddle. Replacing Lustig isn’t easy you know. Today I turn to the opposite flank and arguably the more onerous task of replacing Tierney. It is another position where continuity has been hampered by … [continue reading]
Oh My Days! It’s Right Up For Grabs
Had someone suggested teenage Dutchman Frimpong would be Celtic’s primary right back this season you’d be right to have looked askance. But here we are at the midterm report card stage after years of the ever reliable Lustig with an erstwhile journeyman Arab-Israeli, an unwanted loanee from Stoke City and the aforementioned kid battling it … [continue reading]
The Wall Justified
The Big Wall is back at Celtic Park and has very quickly reminded us all what we were missing, especially in the crunch games. In May 19 I wrote The Undisputed Number One where I showed Bain had rightly kept the shirt from Gordon with stellar displays over the end of last season. I then … [continue reading]
Integral Jullien Leads The Way
Despite defeat to The Rangers, Jullien again stepped up in a big game. There was really no contest for Bhoy of the Match. He wasn’t faultless of course, and with 2 defensive errors, he contributed to the 9 Celtic racked up to apply pressure on themselves. Jullien was successful with 15 challenges and interceptions, which … [continue reading]
The Edouard Dependency
Plotting Expected Goals and Expected Assists for midfielders and forwards gives us a view on not just goal threat but creativity too. The chart below is xG and xA per 90m in all competitions for Celtic. Only includes players with > 450 minutes. For me, the main take-aways are: Reinforces how vital Edouard is. With … [continue reading]
Forster the X Factor
There has rarely been such a clear cut Bhoy of the Match as that performed by Forster to help win X in a row for Celtic at Hampden in the League Cup Final. Indeed, it is difficult to remember the last time a goalkeeper made 8 saves to keep a clean sheet and win such … [continue reading]
Elyounoussi Evaluated
The stock of Elyounoussi continues to rise within the Celtic support on the back of a run of 6 goals in 5 matches, and a sparky centre forward performance in the famous Lazio triumph. I will declare I have been hot and cold on the Norwegian. My personal bias tends to be against players I … [continue reading]