By James Dailey Are Celtic well covered at Centre Half? This seems such a simple question, but the answer is unfortunately conditional. Two centre halfs at Celtic get what I believe to be unfair criticisms which focus on relative weaknesses, ignore strengths, and lack contextual benchmarking. Of course, performance levels are irrelevant if players cannot … [continue reading]
Ajer
Bitton Is A Centre Half
By James Dailey Much angst and disgust were expressed in the dying moments of the transfer window on Friday. Part of being a supporter is “enjoying” the raw swings in emotion. I wish I had a nickel for every time my Twitter feed included a post declaring how the board was amid betraying the support … [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]
Ball Carries
By tracking a new metric (Progressive Runs) and adding this to Pack Dribbles, we can assess those most effective at carrying the ball forward. Definitions Progressive Runs are defined as “A forward run with the ball that does not take any opponents out the game but progresses the ball either: 30 metres from the defensive … [continue reading]
Consolidation of Ajer
This week Ajer completed another two appearances for Norway. He has 9 caps to add to the 37 age group appearances for his nation. An International regular, he has also cemented a centre back starting position at Celtic. The towering Norwegian is only eight months older than the much-publicised prodigy Ödegaard. The young midfielder signed … [continue reading]
Derby Bhoy Of The Match
Celtic were hampered by players not fully fit in the recent derby. However, there were still some notable performances. Here are the top 5. Firstly, kudos to big game hunter Brown who has the metaphorical heads of Morelos, Kent and Halliday on his wall. But he does not make the top 5! Any unfamiliar terms … [continue reading]
Ajer Appreciation
Ajer returned to the side after a bad facial injury and was pitched into right back against the hugely talented FC Salzburg. Part of the makeshift arrangement against Hibernian, he returned to the bench versus Motherwell. Seemingly a target for the critics, the 20-year-old continues to learn new defensive positions in amongst the constantly shifting … [continue reading]
The Problem Position Revisited
It has been the most problematic period of the Rodger’s regime over the last two weeks. At such times all perceived woes get an airing. Are the underlying performance problems at Celtic all that complex to understand? If we look at the issues surrounding the Celtic playing squad there are many. But I posit most … [continue reading]
Pretty In Pink
The reference to the goalkeeper is of course ironic. Gordon had 2 shots to save and 1 fumbled cross that caused mild alarm. Celtic certainly had a frustrating and uncomfortable night at the Lerkendal Stadium. But it wasn’t “torrid” as some in the Scottish press would have you believe. Rosenborg swamped Celtic with 2 shots … [continue reading]
Possession Stats Confirm Ajer Most Effective Defender
Rodgers is big on possession and wearing down the opposition patiently allied to a high press when possession is lost. Who best fits that approach based on last season’s data? The Glossary keeps things simple and never gives the ball away. I will look at each position (broadly) as to compare centre backs to wingers … [continue reading]