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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LiviBhoy says:
4 January, 2012 at 17:26
I was at that game too, went up from London with a few Boro boys, we had a drink in their Knights of Saint Columba club before the game, the women put on a great spread, their fans tho’ are shocking…
SFTB
Excellent suggestions. As far as I can judge, it is Zero P is a PA. On the jocular ones, after the New Year I had , I thought any more drink would have had dire consequences and suggested 1P for a LT might have been One pint for a Liver Transplant!
Thanks a million for your help and if you manage the Zero P one then there are no words to describe my gratitude.
JJ
BlantyreKev – Hail Hail to the Kano Foundation says:
4 January, 2012 at 16:40
ASonOfDan says:
4 January, 2012 at 15:41
Semi tickets. I’m just off the on-line ticket selection and the place is almost a sell out. Only two sections in East Stand, one in North and two, I think, in the South.
Ended up in F2 where I saw us lose to Ross County and Rangers but must win there sometime :)
starry plough says:
4 January, 2012 at 17:49
Did Tommy Coyne score an overhead kick?
Their fans were shocking. The worst I have seen up until the last few years up here. The Jambo’s are the worst now. I firmly believe they are worse than the Huns (just).
The funny thing is that years ago although we had a few battles with them you could get a pint in the boozers on Gorgie Road with them before and after the game and they were alright. Bit of banter but that was about it. It’s got to the stage of wearing no colours if you go for a pint after the game through there now.
LB
looks like a great wee tournament
MBenz Junior Cup at Stuttgart
that’s Zvonomir Soldo, played over 60 times for Croatia, he was boss of only non-German winning team, Dinamo Zagreb in 2008
its like the old soccer 6’s
good luck to the Celtic lads
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdGyi2KfnBc
LiviBhoy says:
4 January, 2012 at 17:54
To be honest I only remember the fighting!! My best mate from Boro’ got decked by a Celtic fan and I was in two minds what to do, didn’t last long tho’ ended up in the Celtic end after staring off in the stand with my Boro mates.
My sister lived up there for years it’s a totally mental place, I had a few nights out up there at some mad House club can’t remember what it’s called but their fans are amongst the maddest in England I went to see them quite often when I was down south, scary stuff!!
SP
Coors and any other muckers on tonight
Did you see this
Foyle Bridge
Re Mowbray’s Testimonial
We were one of the first buses down that day. When we got off the bus there were about 4 policemen waiting for us. I asked them if that was all that was duty that day, and he replied that with only 250 fans coming down, they wouldn’t need much more. He went white and got on to his radio when I told him that it was 250 buses coming down!
SPF
Dear oh dear…..
Radio Snyde incredible tonight courtesy Keevins ans Spiers.
Hearts a disgrace for not paying their players
Celtic should be worried about cup game…As Keevins tells it the Ross County game was “Lennon’s” worst day and an embarrassment to the club.
And then there is Rangers
Just why doest this wee man detest us so much? Clyde now switched off
neil doncaster
waffle waffle
drivel drivel
its far all to operate in a manner fitting of all under the difficult current ecomonic climate – we expect all clubs to consider the well being of all manner of things relevant to pertaining the well-being of the overall performance as far as scottish football is concerned in these difficult times waffle waffle
Scotpatsfan 18.11
I remember having a similar conversation with one of they “saft horsey polis” early on the day of the Giggs testimonial in manchester.
There will be a couple of thousand of yous coming down says he, Aye about twenty thousand say me. I remember seeing him later sitting on his big horse wae his big jaw dropped wide open in awe at our support especially The Garngaad (i think) Bhoys & Ghirls marching to the ground under a giant Tri-colour an absolute sight to behold.
Told you says me.
HAIL HAIL
Oh Dear, here we go- just seen this on the STV website
” A former Celtic player has been accused of being under the influence while driving his vintage Rolls Royce.
David Cattanach, who played for the Parkhead club between 1963 to 1972, is also charged with failing to provide a breath specimen after he was arrested.
The 65-year-old did not appear at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Wednesday when his case called as he was too ill to attend.
Sheriff William Gallacher noted that the former defender was unlikely to be able to attend court for three months and adjourned trial until April.
Cattanach, of Orchard St, Falkirk, denies driving the 1975 Rolls Royce saloon in Weir St, Falkirk, while unfit through drink or drugs on September 7, 2011. He also denies that at Falkirk Police Station on the same day he failed to provide two specimens of breath for analysis.
Falkirk-born Cattanach joined Celtic from Stirling Albion and went on to play 19 times for the Glasgow club ”.
I’ve never heard of this guy, way too young !! But sign of things to come. How low will these people stoop to forward their cosy alliance with the tax dodgers.
Its obvious that any person with a connection to Celtic who transgresses- guilty or not, no matter how old or tenuous, it will be put into the public domain.
celtfish
i am boycotting STV
all forms of it !
Good evening friends.
Just read back on this page and saw some suggestions that the semi final tickets are going fast. Sure enough, when I went to the CFC online ticket services I was only able to choose from 2 remaining sections. Managed to get my 2 but glad I did this today.
I do understand that tickets were initially allocated as something like 20,000 to Celtic and 10,000 to Falkirk with half of the ‘Rangers end’ remaining up for grabs to be allocated nearer the time if there’s a demand.
Jobo
http://valetudocafe.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/125-year-old-woman-claimed-smoking-pot-everyday-was-her-secret-to-long-life/
HH
Clink\o/ is Neil Lennon says:
4 January, 2012 at 18:03
Coors and any other muckers on tonight
Did you see this
Foyle Bridge
share
Very good,it’s fair picking up tonight,lost my sky signal.
“if the taxman settles for 6 or 7 million”
haha
Is David on Clyde a wind up?
Its like a caricature of a hun
Celtfish
David Cattanach was captain of Celtic Reserves when Kenny Dalglish, Danny McGrain et al. were there. I remember going to see the reserves play Rangers and beat them 6-1 and 7-1 – brilliant. I didn’t make it to the Reserve cup final unfortunately. Beat Rangers again either 6 or 7-1.
HH
TopCorner
I think you will find he said “mullion”
Re semi final tickets.
I just got a text to say that Celtic are selling tickets a section at a time if you use the online method. Once one section is sold out then tickets in another section become available.
If you prefer to sit in a particular area then you’d have to buy directly from the TO.
ntb
need a few brickies for that
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mullion
el kaddouri quits Celtic
Re. Cup Semi tickets. Just off the phone, got 5 tickets for family section, girl said that most areas are now sold out.
I just got an email from the Daily Mail about the amount of complaints they have received about a comment I posted on a story about McShagger being sold. It was for calling the huns beggars. I know the term hun was a bit of a grey area, but surely there aren’t many who could dispute the fact that the huns are beggars???
SPF
Loving Clyde tonight… Media hacks trying to talk up jellylegs valuation…. Dismissing the 2 goals in last 10 games with reasons such as premiership awash with cash and I’d berbatov worth £26m then £8m fair for jelly????
Eh???
So is it fair to value jelly at £8m when you can buy Shane long for half that value or van der vaart for the same price???
They will be lucky to get £5m
Saw a couple of folks earlier suggesting we look at Sutton or Daly.
I don’t think either is a long term solution, but the could do a job over the next 3 or 4 months.
When we lost the league in 2009, I remember thinking about signing Kevin Kyle at Xmas , and , he could have done a job for us in the short term, particularly given big Jan’s injury record ( or was it winter hibernation).
Last season, we were only 1 or 2 goals short of winning the league, and whilst it would be great to get a 25 goal + powerhouse, then plan B shouldn’t be dismissed.
1 or 2 goals on a wet sodden pitch on a Wednesday night away to hammer thrower fc might be all we need.
Sorry to all those enquiring about tickets, just back on.
I went on-line to get my tickets and only had a couple of sections in North Stand to choose from. That was about half three today.
HH
pauloanthony
i`m sure that suarez didn`t cost much more than £8m
anyone watching him last Wed ..wouldn`t offer them enough for them to get their money back on him
Thanks, El Kaddouri for your efforts especially your goal at IBrokes.
BSR
how magnanimous of you
i thought he was pants :¬)))
scotspatfan
here is the dictionary defination of the word hun…
number 2 is spot on…
Hun (hn)
n.
1. A member of a nomadic pastoralist people who invaded Europe in the fourth and fifth centuries a.d. and were defeated in 455.
2. often hun A barbarous or destructive person.
3. Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a German, especially a German soldier in World War I
PFayr says:
4 January, 2012 at 18:58
i dont think the support from within the liverpool support is as strong as inside the club for saurez….many i have read on some of their forums are calling for his selling..
masty
sorry him …refers to Jelevic
sorry for the confusion
PF
* curmudgeonliness *
Hamiltontim/Pojol et al – thanks for the posts on the semi final tickets. I now see it on the website – I was on way home from Edinburgh and using my mobile to check CFC net so think it may have been a reception problem that it didn’t show. Younger bro going up tomorrow to get the tickets for me and my young Bhoy – he has a 100% record at Hampden(only been to two games but never mind, 100% is 100%).
Cheers guys
Somebody, somewhere, is slipping up, time for a ‘pubic ‘enquiry. Ony 4 pens for hunman. !! Surely they are awarded at least one per game. Me smell summit wrong!!
KINGLuBO
Evening bhoys, cold but as ever hun free.
Said it before and will keep saying it, the hun will not get more than 12 mill for their first team, that includes McShagger, Davis, Whatakicker, Jellylegs and any others they try to sell, it’s not going to happen.