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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Etims Twitter :
Meeting arranged with Craig Gordon over Bosman deal later this week. Salary limit of £20k p/w no concern as £7k win bonus to be factored in.
Monaghan1900 says:
4 January, 2012 at 18:43
Sounds like a geat game (s). Waiting now for my first 7-1 game.
Hun = a vandal
And low and behold the ‘H’ word now being discussed on RC!
SPF
Celtfish
Fantastic – the three games were in the space of three or four weeks. A great time to support Celtic. You’ll understand me taking the view that David Cattenach is not guilty!
I remember Arsenal were set to swoop for ole Madjid Bougherra in a £5 Million deal © BBC
BSR
as were Barca
Scottish Press…permanent embarrassment ,occassional disgrace
THE EXILED TIM says:
4 January, 2012 at 19:06
£12M – that much??
“One day you’ll clype each other out of Europe” – Hugh Keevins talking about Celtic and Rangers fans citing the offensive behaviour of each other.
Rangers fan mentioning Paul McBride’s highlighting the offensive use of the H word by Celtic fans. Mr McBride is an intelligent man. Well done Paul!
The hun on snyde there should have a wee look at this site if he disny like the hun word
http://bighun1.com/mainmenu.htm
Kayal33 says:
4 January, 2012 at 19:08
Would take that tbh – big FF is good but £2M + £20k ish or CG free on £27k?
The Idiot
I was being generous, it is for the whole team mind :>)
Buddy
Paul McBride says what he thinks will result in his own personal advancement, as he sees it. One of the most treacherous individuals you could hope to meet.
HH
PF
David Healy
*lethal*
keevins feels there is a reluctance by sally to sign boyd…… that’s because he has been told he can’t buy anyone….not rocket science, keevins…!!!
how many games will Gordon play per year
almost permanently injured ….no thanks
see we’ve been linked to sandazza with the dark side, wonder how this will play out on the back pages, sandazza; he says no to celtic in favour of a move to the tax dodgers from the southside,
meanwhile in the real world we wont not touch him as our sites are set on higher standards of player
anyone remember cw saying he cant pay a current wages before extending and increasing the wages of the great unwashed
just after he said everyone else in the league would fallow follow, cw we have been cutting wages for years and can increase wages.
BSR
James Forrest may be the only one that would agree with that …
:¬)))
1. hun
short for honey, an endearing term
Hey hun, i missed you!
buy hun mugs & shirts
2. hun
derogatory word for german or protestant, esp in Northern ireland.
Used to describe rangers football fans.
buy hun mugs & shirts
3. Hun
Dirty, filthy, smelly, bigoted Rangers fan with a huge chip on both shoulders. The sort of person who hates everyone and ironically, any decent person hates them
Horrible, Hun Rangers scum.
THE EXILED TIM says:
4 January, 2012 at 19:21
One of the more senior guys at my work describes himself as “The Wicked Hun” – he usually follows that with a “and don’t any of you reptiles forget it!” directed towards me and the other tims in the office.
#banternoallowedanymore
Sorry – a mistake, that should of course been “yous”
PFayr
Suarez cost Liverpool £23m
There is not one EPL club prepared to pay what the Huns want for Jelavic
As i said a few weeks ago, the only hope they have of getting anything above £6m is from a Russian club
Craig Whyte – “For every fiver that Celtic spend, I’ll eh… sell one of oors!”
Kayal33 says:
4 January, 2012 at 19:08
Was told in last window we were very interested in Gordon. I heard at 18:15 this evening from my usual source that we will hold talks with Gordon…not etims twitter.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Brian Boru @ 14.06
Agreed, we need another scoring forward in the squad now that Kris Commons seems out with long term injury problems. The team is in trouble should Stokes or Hooper be sidelined with a bad injury.
Bangura is taking time to settle in the SPL but must have something if he was recommended by Henrik. No point getting Robbie Keane on loan as the American season starts up again in March. Go for Diawara – hope I got his name right.
Nobody is prepared to pay big bucks for Jellyfish because he has done nothing in the game, it’s a Scottish press stitch up.
He played in Austria, big deal and now he plays in Scotland again big deal, he is 26 and has less than 20 full caps and 2 international goals..
I wish folk would shut the france up about this muppet, whit’s he ever done!!
I hope rangers get relegated!!
SP
TMWTL
thanks ..sorry for the rubbish earlier
67Heaven
‘keevins feels there is a reluctance by sally to sign boyd’……
The Fat Game Show host has admitted privately that they can’t afford a deal to bring Boyd back
Oh and aside from that, Boyd is not interested in coming back to the SPL
ASonOfDan says:
4 January, 2012 at 18:57
Could it be that they are releasing blocks at a time as suggested by hamiltontim, cannot see the demand for a semi-final against Falkirk?
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
My bet Kerevins is reading this blog! the numbnuts currently on is saying that celtic have too many players! The last three league titles were won by Rangers outspending Celtic! Anyhoo, my guess re Hearts owner saying a deal has beenm done in order to pay wages? Lee Wallace has been ponced to an English outfit and Hearts have got their Follow Follow on payment.
Kerevins = Keevins (sorry Hugh!)
Ten Men Won The League
I think Boyd would be delighted to get a contract from rangers.
Failed in the EPL (twice),flopped abroad
No where left to go since Hertz are skint
Why would Boyd take a contract at Ibrox? Can they manage to improve on the £46 the buroo are giving him?
Lennybhoy
Semi tickets only went on sale yesterday/today??
There ain’t no way that number of tickets have been sold.
The Idiot
Their double standards beggers belief
Billy Davies was full of praise for Boyd`s efforts when he played for him at Notts Forest
Boyd will go to whoever pays him the most
Suralex has been at the vino before the kick offio.
Re: jelavic
How much would he have to go for, for thems to show any profit whatsoever?
They supposedly paid, what? 4.5m?
Have they paid it all?
Is there a sell on clause?
What about agents fees?
How much would he want for himself, to move?