There are some interesting stats behind Celtic’s meteoric rise to the top of the league and Rangers equally spectacular collapse.
Prior to the 5th November Celtic had played 12 games, scoring 23 and conceding 12. Since then they have played and won 10 games, scoring 21 and conceding just 3 times. So there hasn’t really been a significant increase in goals scored per game, but there has been a massive improvement in the defensive figures. Nine different players have scored during this time with Hooper, Samaras and (despite injury) Stokes scoring three or more during this time.
By comparison, Rangers have scored 15 goals in their last 10 SPL games with the goals coming from six different sources. Nikica Jelavic is their only player to have scored more than twice but he needed penalty kicks to achieve this. This period corresponds to Steven Naismith’s absence from the team.
Incredibly, seven of Rangers 15 goals in these games have been either own goals or penalties. Dundee United, Dunfermline and Motherwell players have all scored for Rangers while Rangers have benefited from four penalties. In total these seven goals have earned Rangers six points. Only one of Rangers 25 goals prior to this period was a penalty and none were o.g.s, so their period of good fortune coincided with their period of greatest need, a recurrent theme in the Scottish game.
None of Celtic’s 44 SPL goals this season have been scored by opponents and only one has come from the penalty spot, not that we seem to keen to score penalties.
The figures demonstrate the importance of having a variety of players who can contribute goals on a consistent basis as key strikers are always liable to injury or loss of form. Hooper and Stokes have already missed chunks of this season and Georgios Samaras started the season in barren form.
Celtic’s figures are all the more stark considering their most prolific midfielder, Kris Commons, has failed to launch his season due to a frustrating few months of injuries. Goal-scoring midfielders are a precious breed.
I was surprised at how little appetite Nikica Jelavic appeared to have for the contest at Celtic Park last week but a return of 2 goals from 10 games indicates the problem may be well established. He spoke to a Croatian newspaper this week and – unlike his manager when asked about the player being sold this month – informed them he had no intentions of leaving Rangers and that he was “focussed on playing in Scotland”, although he did reference Rangers financial problems.
If Rangers are budgeting on selling Jelavic they may well find the player wants a piece of the action before agreeing to move on.
Thanks to BigchipsUK for the research on the SPL goal stats.
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Gotta Go..
Good Night Scotland
Good Night Ireland
Good Night Wales
Good Night England
Good Night Canada
Good Night New Zealand
Good Night Australia
and
Good Night… Ronnie Anderson, wherever you are.
Kojo.
Murphy £10k
Rasmussen £10k
Juarez £18k
O’dea £8k
Mcginn £5k
Towell £1.5k
Thompson £3k
Cervi £2k
Zaluska £7k
Loovens £15k
Wilson £12k
Commons £15k
Exiled Tim
email me at mmarkiebhoy@aol.com
Happ to give your son some pointers re Aberdeen job market if i can.
And to top it all off
That list has cost us £9m in transfer fees!!!
THE EXILED TIM says:
4 January, 2012 at 23:28
My bhoy works in Aberdeen for AMEC, design etc, get my email from Paul and send his cv on and my bhoy will get in touch.
HH
Paulantony
I agree with your general point
Murphy – thought he was gone?
Rasmussen – goodbye
Juarez – goodbye
O’dea – I still feel he could be useful
Mcginn – what happened to him?
Towell – eh?
Thompson – goodbye
Cervi – goodbye
Zaluska – keep
Loovens – keep
Wilson – sorry to see leave
Commons – is going but shouldn’t be
Cults
The first 8 are out on loan
paulantony
In that case – get rid…unless any are setting heather on fire,
I always maintain 2 season and you’ve not made it you’re not likely to…
If we get a good offer for Ki we should take.
Keep reading on here that he is a creator/playmaker but have seen no evidence to back this up?
Don’t remember him setting up to many goals but don’t know his stats for sure.
We do need a central midfielder who is more direct and creative though.
SAs long as we reinvest the money we take in then I will be positive that our custodians have the right ambition for playing side.
Believe our priorities should be striker and creator.
We have enough defenders to win league with.
Hope a few youngsters get their chance this year
SydneyTim says:
4 January, 2012 at 22:30
fat allys record is worse than paul Le goon, we are only 2 points in front
—
Where does this come from?
After 22 SPL games.
PLG:
W: 10
D: 6
L: 6
FPLG:
W: 16
D: 3
L: 3
Had we been up against PLG’s orc stats, we’d be 17 points clear. The PLG v FPLG stats are based on FPLG’s overall record v PLG’s SPL one (or something).
Direct comparison after 27 games, all in:
PLG:
W: 14
D: 7
L: 6
FPLG:
W: 16
D: 5
L: 6
I am unsure of the rules on this but would it not make sense for Jellavic and any other rated RFC players to continue to be on Rangers books until their likely demise and therefore be in a position to negotiate a bosman type contract with ny new potential employers…..
don’t doubt the drop in attendances,but other issues must be factored in.don’t think there are many of us are
better financiallly off than we have been lately,add in ko days/times,such as a game christmas eve,making
it a problem for our fans from north scotland,england,ireland,wales,and overseas to attend.cannot remember
the name of the poster earlier,who complained of the prices of food and programmes at dunfermline-go
support our team,and don’t add to their income,surely you can starve for two hours
Micheal Owen can sign pre contract with clubs now ??
The Exiled Tim
There might be a trainee position going at my work. E-mail me at naekeich-wu52j8@yahoo.co.uk for more details and I can pass on a CV if he wants.
Grant Thornton sold their soul years ago to MIH, and they know it. Signing off on £120m worth of Ibrox Park was a sham, and they cleared Murray’s Companies every year as Murray pumped more smoke and angled more mirrors round a decrepit conglomerate.
Remember the big case was known to them at the last audit report date.
If they are not signing off for Whyte it is because either they are a truly unbelievable mess or GT are going to try and restore some (it’s that word again) dignity to themselves.
After the Bannerman case they really only report to the shareholders, that’s why they signed off for Murray, the creditors have no come back on the auditor. However they do of course deal daily with HMRC in other business. Together with ICAS there is enough pressure on them to make it a tough position but I wouldn’t be surprised if they signed off a clean report. As I said if not then it must be some mess, and then look for the relic of hundom to crumble around them.
fun-a-tic
Agree – Ki might thrive in a better league.
<a target="_blank" href="Naka“>Naka
I cannot get to grips with this link creator? help
BURNLEY 78 2356
That’s my reading of it too.
We all go on about greedy players and greedy agents ruining the game-here’s their chance to do something positive for football.
SHAFT RANGERS!
Arbroath to be the new Berwick ?
Burnley 78,
If the club go into receivership and are unable to pay the wages, then , I think, the registration becomes the property of the body with whom the player is registered.
In this case the SFA……I am sure we can gues what would happen then !
Claschcitybhoy
If the sfa get the players registration I would expect them to sell the best players of Huns and Edinburgh Huns to new Co for the princely sum £16-90
setting free the bears says 4 January, 2012 at 22:04
great post.
ClashCity
Is their any precedents as to what has happened previously in such situations ?
Bothroyd, no thanks,he was offered and said no.Case closed for me.
ClashCity
Of course I meant is ‘there’ any precedent ? not ‘their’
Kojo just missed
i am touched, yes i tend to say what a lot of bloggers would love to say, but just canny as they will lose their pals on here :))
dirtymac
yes i saw the direct comparison last week on here
Sallys record is poor, we are only 2 points in front, yes a young team is doing wonerfull, beyond a lot of our expitations
but need a wee injection of quality to help them grow even further, it will be a wasted opportunity if we let this go by
ST
ST
Yes a bit of quality would help, but I think a bit of experience would be more beneficial to this young squad, por cierto
Oor Neil
Bit of fun here lads….
Say we offload those players I mentioned…
Prehaps pulling in a couple of million £ in fees to bank!
This frees up £100k per week in wages…
Now check out the sweet shop
http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/spieler/vertragsende/basics.html
Look at the players who can sign pre contracts now…
In Italy Spain England Germany etc
Now name your centre half and striker Lenny craves!
HT, Lennybhoy, PFAyr
outstanding posting tonight!
Och, awright, enjoyed yours as well BlantyreKev :-)
hh
bjmac
ST – cheer-up
Kojo
You are JD’s Pal no matter what they say. Have you changed your mind yet aboot Skoosh & Big George? Charlie but is getting beterer & Beterer though :)
yir pal JD
Burnley 78,
None that are comparable.
When Motherwell and Dundee got into a mess, the players simply found other clubs, and took whatever was offered by the appointed administrator. Some were of course retained, as presumably either there contracts were paid, or, they couldn’t get a better offer.
My understanding is that because the SFA hold the registration, then this must be released before a player could join another club. Normally the SFA would do this automatically.
So, in theory the SFA could refuse / block the transfer of the registration, but, there is no precedent .
The interesting bit is what happens if some players are being paid, and others are not.
As you know, when organisations have financial difficulties, they will often pay selected suppliers to ensure they still have key components.
If a club goes into administration and key players are still being paid, then, in theory the contract for that player is an asset of the club, and as long as obligations are met, then the contract is valid.
Goal keeper?
PSV s Swedish goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson
Available to sign pre contract now?
Lustig and madge would be a pull
£4m rated
SydneyTim
Your points are as valid as any Celtic supporters. As has been said by other CQN poster
‘support Celtic team not Celtic Board’
We have arrived at the right place later than we should have more by chance than design IMO…
Pauloantony
We’ve got big FF.
Unless Newcastle are playing funny.
“Only one of Rangers 25 goals prior to this period was a penalty and none were o.g.s,
so their period of good fortune coincided with their period of greatest need,
a recurrent theme in the Scottish game.”
Paul67..what date’s yer Sectarian court case?
Fan a tic spurs are apparently interested in FF now