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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Ole baw bag3 is kicking off in Glasgow G73
Boyd will be on decent money where he is, he won’t get that if he re signs for them.
He also has the added bonus of not having to play which suits the fat lazy bassa to a tea(cake)!!
Craig Gordon – thanks but no thanks
Too weak at important points
FF is a far better prospect
The board need to deliver what Lenny has identified – a strong physical presence is a vital necessity if we want to win the league.
HH
EI’s T-Shirt? As you were son! Why not wear a poppy? it’s not political, it’s now religious!
notthebus
Regards Boyd not coming back to the SPL
That was straight from the horses mouth 3 days before Xmas.
The Turks still hold his playing registration so until his contract details are sorted, he won’t be kicking a ball for anyone
The Huns away at Abroath with just one forward. The goal machine that is Healy
Would Whyte want a replay for the cash? :)
hamiltontim
He a free agent, he doesn’t have a club
I’m sitting reading the blog listening to the wind tearing at the roof tiles left from the last hurricane while that weather forcasting advert at the bottom of the page mocks me by saying that there is a high of 85 degrees in Greenock. There isnt a high of 85 degrees in the summer- never mind in the middle of a hurricane
On Nikica Crush shortly.
From Croatian portal I learned that Rangers got two offers in Summer transfer window. One was from Trabzonspor, the other from Leicester. They declined both interests and set transer fee treshhold on GBP 10 millon. Their hopes were that after the games in Champions League player’s value would rise to that level.
P.S. Champions League competition this season is not over yet. We are far from the final game. I would keep their hopes still valid ;-0
From The guardian
“On the face of it, Kris Boyd should have clubs clambering over themselves to make him a contract offer. The fact he is unemployed at all belies career facts and figures.
January is a notoriously difficult period for managers to convince their counterparts to part with top players; it is also a time when prodigious strikers are much sought-after. Boyd, a free agent, is the highest scorer in the history of the Scottish Premier League and a player whom, at Rangers and Kilmarnock, was known solely for his goals”
hamiltontim
Apparently he hasn’t been paid by the Turks, since August, so he’s offski – free under a release in his contract.
It’s inevitable Ragers will beat Jobseekers Allowance eventually
Is it not more likely that the horribles do a loan deal for rato novo or fat boy(d)
While doing my bit for domestic bliss (the dishes) I switched on snyde. Unnatural.
A hun on complaining about being called a hun last week while being asked to go home by over 50,000 Celtic fans !
Dear doctor.
He said it is offensive to protestants…..well I need to get that verified by by some of my mates who are protestants.
Wait a minute …. my mates were singing it….does that numbnut hun think we are all RC ? Suits his agenda ?
Dishes done.Radio off.
hamiltontim says:
4 January, 2012 at 19:36
I agree mate, can’t see that number of tickets being sold.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
With regards to Paul’s article, who has scored for us from the penalty spot in a league match this season? I remember Ki scoring against Udinese, but he missed at home to Dunfermline. The only other penalties I can recall this season were missed by Hooper at Easter Road, and by Commons v St Johnstone at Celtic Park.
Noticed Sir Alex said “rankers and Celtic” when he should have said “Celtic and rankers game was adversely affected by the wind last Wednesday” ……just a wee slip on his part….LOL….. quite a few Scottish pundits make that same grammatical error all the time…….He He….!!!
Was Wayne Rooney suspended by Sir Alex for that last game …? been busy, and didn’t follow the EPL AT THE WEEKEND
thats the winds picking up again in North Ayrshire – AGAIN – theres gonna be nothing left of my roof by the weekend!
Stairheedrammy says:
4 January, 2012 at 19:44
I’m sitting reading the blog listening to the wind tearing at the roof tiles left from the last hurricane while that weather forcasting advert at the bottom of the page mocks me by saying that there is a high of 85 degrees in Greenock. There isnt a high of 85 degrees in the summer- never mind in the middle of a hurricane
——————————
see that weather forecasting advert, for me it says its 85 degrees in Enniskillen !
and i am just up the a8 from you, hhhmmm,
ntb/bourne
Ok I’ll shut up now :-)
Ten Men Won The League
I’m only going by the stories in the press, I should know better!
Heaven 67
Wayne was out on a St Stephens day bash/meal with Gibson , Jones & partners.
Sir fergie deemed none were in a fit state to train properly the next day and dropped them.
They got humped 3-2 at home to Blackburn !
Zbyszek says:
4 January, 2012 at 19:46
allright bud,
any rumours of interest in McGeady from anyone ?
how does the transfer window in January apply to Russian clubs ?
St Stivs
Its never 85 degrees in the Port- something to do with the altitude.
Stairheed
Listening to snyde,
I dont know whether we should relish in this fine festive period, or whether to get angry and switch off the radio…..
angelgabriel
4 January, 2012 at 19:46…. Immediately thought why is no one on the fair, equal, non biased panel not correcting this gremlin!!!! and the comment about Sellick having a song about the huns… you couldnt make it up
sod it, im gonna relish in it!!!!
HH
Stairheedrammy says:
4 January, 2012 at 19:44
Winds down in the west – help ma bob, I’m off in a flight tomorrow at 7am to Egypt from….. Glasga … well so I hope :-)
Can roof tiles be glued back together?
NUtd v MUtd just starting
vipbox.tv
Angel Gabriel……..”humped” in relation to oor Wayne…..?????
prestonpans bhoys
You will be in Egypt by 8am then with that wind
Love
Our very own no 9 Samaras has more career goals than Jelavic. I would say in fairly comparable leagues, Dutch v Austrian.
Re monster munch.
Right now the Rankers need a morale booster.
Can’t help think that if they either wanted , or could afford monster munch, they would have done so last week before they played us.?
masty is neil lennon says:
4 January, 2012 at 19:01
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
—–
1. A member of a nomadic pastoralist people who invaded Europe in the fourth, fifth nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries a.d. and were defeated 1-0 at 21:55 on 28th December by the Celts
2 & 3 ???
ah Go on, Go on, Go on.. ye know ye want to ;-)
HH
M
TopCorner says:
4 January, 2012 at 19:59
Trying to watch on Sky but the feckin wind is doing its best to interrupt my entertainment, bring back the snow…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Saint Stivs at 19:55
No, almost nothing. I heard doubtful rumours that Everton would swap Dinijar Bilaletdinow for Aiden McGeady.
Good grief. One from the SPL rises interest from 23 Premier League clubs, the other who played in the SPL not long time ago has no other option and must stay in Moscow.
Hamiltontim. Did not catch your reply last night after I asked where our new striker was
You replied we beat the Huns
Does that mean we give up and dont strengthen our main weakness
See ranger 0 Celtic 1 7 points clear , 4 years ago
Did not strengthen and lost the next 3 titles as we had no 20+ goalscorer
Do you hold the same Belief now? Surely we should not make exactly the same mistake ?
Catch your answer Later getting for work:))
I did notice you had a great loss recently
Takes time
ST
King Vic 67
To relish in it would my advice…positive energy and all that ;-) HH
Interesting comment from Spiers on Clyde that he well remembers when huns used to refer to themselves as huns and he therefore finds it confusing that they now object to being called huns.
I suppose that’s huns for you.
How can the Orc negotiate with anyone when they handed a 5 year £25000 pw deal to Whittaker?
Surely anyone aware of whittakers (in)ability will want the same or more????
Anyone????
pauloantony
That’s an easy one.
Whittaker’s £25,000 per week contract only exists in the barren wastelands of their minds.