A lively debate ensued on Twitter (it does happen!) after @celticrumours posted this: I am no different to any other supporter in that I want every player to succeed at Celtic. Ideally, I’d love a first team of 11 local Scottish lads, just like ’67. I am also old enough to know that will not … [continue reading]
Johnston
Not As Expected
I still maintain the biggest issue Celtic have faced this season is not finishing off their chances. There are undoubtedly many concerns for Postecoglou to address: A settled defence First choice left back Curing the hamstring epidemic How to operate a midfield with no natural “8”s The never-ending striker shortage Lack of aerial presence in … [continue reading]
The Johnston Conundrum
A quick piece on Michael Johnston given the furore following the St Mirren game. According to FotMob he led the team with 0.46 xG and 0.26 xA giving an Expected Scoring Contribution (xSC) of 0.72. This is slightly below his average of 0.8. And, of course, this yielded 1 assist and 0 goals – leaving … [continue reading]
Midfield Red Flags
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]
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]
Christie The Creative Spark
Celtic are creating slightly more chances than last season. I take an early season look at Expected and Actual Assists. Assists / Expected Assists Christie and Forrest lead the way with 6 assists each. Edouard and Johnston have 5 and Ntcham 4 This suggests that Lennon’s Celtic are an equal creative threat from all of … [continue reading]
Christie Leads The Scoring, But For How Long?
With 41 goals in 13 matches, Celtic have started the second Lennon era in spectacular fashion. As I covered in The (Partial) Death of Possession Football, Lennonball involves more shots, a bit of regression back towards the xG mean, slight increase in chance creation and a whole lotta conversion rate joy! Let’s look at the … [continue reading]
Johnston: Academy Breakout of the Year
This season’s academy breakout was Johnston. Mainly a wide attacker, he was asked to lead the line at Ibrox at New Year and some remember that rather than the string of performances that saw him establish himself in the first team squad. 2018/19 Appearances With a mere 230 minutes banked prior to this season, the … [continue reading]
What Do Celtic Have In Reserve?
It probably wont surprise you to know I do try and track the Celtic Reserves performances as best I can. Data is scarce and I am at the mercy of the official site for match reports and line ups, and Celtic TV for highlights. The excellent Videocelts also provides unrivalled Reserve coverage on their site … [continue reading]