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]
Lustig
The Right Back?
The Celtic right back problem was addressed after Lustig’s leaving with the purchases of Elhamed and Frimpong, and the loan acquisition of Bauer. Elhamed is the senior right back at the club and despite various injury interruptions has racked up more than the 900 minutes I use as minimum sample size. So, let’s compare Elhamed … [continue reading]
Ralston Not Ready. But Don’t Say Never.
Celtic and the curse of the right back! As the Champions League qualifiers progress, Ralston remains the only recognised right back in the squad. Is he ready to replace Lustig? Firstly, let’s remember that Lustig is a highly experienced internationalist who served Celtic for 7 ½ seasons. The 75-time capped Swede appeared in multiple international … [continue reading]
The Lustig Conundrum
Following a tearful Hampden celebration and with reports in today’s papers and hints on social media of likely exit, could it really be the end of Lustig’s seven-and-a-half-year Celtic career? And what is the impact on the squad? 2018/19 Appearances Despite an early reputation for injury proneness, he has appeared in over 40 matches in … [continue reading]
Is Toljan an upgrade on Lustig?
“We need a right back” has become a familiar refrain from the Celtic support in recent times. The January window delivered a Borussia Dortmund player capped regularly at age grade levels for Germany, and for whom the Westphalians paid over £6m to acquire. Jeremy Toljan started brightly but with Lennon back in the manager’s seat, … [continue reading]
Why Ntcham Matters
An article for the undervalued. But mainly Ntcham. Assists, chances and expected goals have all seeped into the mainstream on occasions and regular visitors to this site will be very familiar with those terms. Here we look further back in the moves to see who is creating the environment from which chances can follow. Secondary … [continue reading]
Can Lustig and Simunovic be Defended?
Celtic have conceded almost a goal a game this season overall (with a bias towards conceding in Champions League matches) and the defence continues to attract criticism. In particular, Lustig and Simunovic are perceived to be below par. What do the performance numbers say? Remember, the Glossary closes down the space between doubt and enlightenment. … [continue reading]
An Unsettled Outlook
The fourth season review considers the centre backs. I have discovered that assessing centre backs is harder than any other position. I think this is harder because: Even more so than with full backs, central defending depends on “actions” not easy to capture – i.e. where to stand. Most danger is avoided due to being … [continue reading]
Right Back Where We Left Off
In the third article in the series of 2016/17 season reviews, I look at the performance of the full backs. A key position the way Celtic play, much is expected in the attacking third from the Celtic wide defence, especially domestically. Right Back Appearances In his 6th season at Celtic, Lustig held down the right … [continue reading]
Running To Stand Still
The Science of Fitness There is no doubt conditioning a modern athlete to play football is a complex business. Sports science continues to evolve, and Celtic as a club embrace the most modern thinking and facilities. That is not to say what Celtic do is always right. There are as many opinions as sports scientists. … [continue reading]