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 are enforced through injury and suspension. But how much change is too much?
Since Celtic By Numbers began, here are the matches where the management made 5 or more changes to the starting XI:
There are some thumping wins for sure. But there were also some incredibly laboured wins in there – Raith Rovers, Alloa Athletic, Dundee, Partick Thistle, Hamilton Academical.
Here is the overall points % comparison between games where 5 or more changes were made, and those where less than 5 changes were made.
Rodgers seems finally to arrive at the right answer. Celtic are 16% less effective when making 5 or more changes.
No gonnae dae that!
Martin says
Great stuff as ever, I’m a big fan of your attempts to objectively analyse Celtic’s performance. Particularly informative now, during the teams current mini-malaise! I think you may have a typo in your second table though, the row headers surely should be ‘4 or less’ and ‘5 or more’?
celticbynumbers@btinternet.com says
Thanks for the kind comments.
What I state on the table is correct but I agree you worded it far more succinctly than I!
LennyK says
Nice to see an objective analysis of this. I can remember Neil Lennon making the same mistake. Intuitively, I’d say that any more than three changes really disrupts team performance. Hard to believe that managers and coaches seem to be unaware of this.
celticbynumbers@btinternet.com says
I suspect the best option is to chose your occasions wisely. It can’t be black and white with that many games. Ferguson was a master of this at Man U.
Duncan says
I am in agreement with LennyK 3 is ample and any more disrupts the rhythm to the side and often gives the impression of headless chickens.
Bit like in pre Season friendless when they make 7 or 8 changes at half time it becomes disruptive and a fitness exercise at best.