Celtic’s defeat in Rotterdam was particularly frustrating for me given the low expectations going in. At half time, the match was utterly 50/50 by the data and hope had started to rise: If anything, given Celtic were the away side, you could argue based on the performance data, they’d have been the happier side. But … [continue reading]
McGregor
Making Sense of Space
I found a nice feature on Sofascore today – average player positions. Average position obviously doesn’t mean that was where they always stood, and it doesn’t mean that is where they are always relative to teammates. Nevertheless, without complex tracking data it is the best we have to discern a semblance of shape. I wanted … [continue reading]
The Midfield Minefield
This analysis lark is much about pilfering and refining the fine work of others. It’s all fair game so long as you attribute! So, props and shout outs to @CannonStats on Twitter. You might want to follow them if your schadenfreude extents to giving support to Ange Postecoglou’s new big rivals. In this tweet, the … [continue reading]
Risk / Reward in Midfield
A short (lol) piece on assessing the risk versus reward dynamic amongst the central midfielders. Many supporters appreciated that “giving the ball away” is not always a negative per se, but the corollary to attempting high risk or creative passes. Losing the ball is worth it sometimes if there are chances being created and opponents … [continue reading]
McGregor Sets Real Example
There were many bright spots despite a 0-3 Heroic Hammering at the hands of European Champions, Real Madrid. None more so that the captain, Callum McGregor. He led the way in most of the key defensive AND ball progression metrics. In summary: Of course, Real Madrid were not going man to man as many SPFL … [continue reading]
POTY Nominee: Callum McGregor
The first in the series analysing the Official Celtic Player of the Year candidates focusses on Callum McGregor. Appearances Only Hart has more minutes’ contribution this season than McGregor. His 3858 minutes equates to over 42 matches over 46 appearances. The 4 games he lost to injury in September coincided with Celtic’s worst form. A … [continue reading]
The Masked Destroyer
On the latest Huddle Breakdown podcast (please subscribe), @celtic_martin asked a seemingly flippant question “Statistically, is McGregor better with or without the mask?”. Now, while the wearing of the mask may, in our heads, bestow magical super powers (“What!!!!! It’s Callum McGregor under that mask, I thought it was you, Masked Destroyer?”), the prosaic reality … [continue reading]
Dynamic Duo
By James Dailey Neil Lennon’s decision to deploy the 3-5-2 formation domestically following the winter break coincided with a large increase in offensive production from whom I believe to be Celtic’s best two players: Odsonne Edouard and Callum McGregor. I advocated for roles for each which manifested in the 3-5-2 here and here. Exceptional Edouard … [continue reading]
Can McGregor Knock Brown for 6?
By James Dailey Saturday’s 5-0 result versus St. Mirren was a continuation of domestic dominance this season. Advanced analytics and related statistics have more value over larger sample sizes, as normal variance in a single game, or even a group of games, can deviate significantly from underlying metrics. Clearly a 5-0 result is better than … [continue reading]
Copenhagen: The Battle of Midfield
By James Dailey As I have made clear in prior pieces, I believe Celtic could field one of the best midfields among the remaining Europa League teams. However, this piece will focus upon what “is” rather than what could be. I will compare our likely central midfield three versus a comparable sample from the other … [continue reading]