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Jota brought to you by effective analytics

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

I wrote in May that Jota (23) was more important to retain than Cameron Carter-Vickers on a permanent contract. At that point, the profile of both players was high after a successful term in Glasgow, we would not have been the only potential destination. It is a huge credit to chief exec Michael Nicolson and the club that they have delivered both.

Cameron was our best defender, a potential Celtic captain, but still, I wanted Jota more. Opponents fear him. He can take a ball when marked tightly and the defender will not lunge in to attempt a steal, knowing Jota has the ability to move ball and body before they have formulated a thought.

If an opposition team leave him one-on-one, they better not lose possession. He is Celtic’s most effective out-ball; left with only one defender to beat, he can turn defence into an opportunity to score faster than Usain Bolt could track back.

When Aiden McGeady signed for Hibs this week, my thoughts went back to so many great memories. Prominent among them, was watching him as an 18-year-old, bring his instant control to a 2004 Celtic-Milan Champions League game. No one else in the Celtic team had that ball control.

Jota has the same effortless control.

So what about the Magic Window, where Celtic have seen enough of the player to make their move, before wealthier clubs get involved?

Incredibly, Jota had only played an entire 90 minutes of a game only twice before joining Celtic, both cup games for Benfica against lower league opposition. The season before arriving in Glasgow was mostly spent on the bench, watching his Real Valladolid side fail to ward off relegation. He made 8 starts there and was hooked each time, adding 10 appearances from the bench.

Across his career, before joining Celtic on loan last year, he made 9 starts and 29 sub appearances in senior football. Magic window? More a magic letterbox. He had hardly put studs on grass.

Valladolid was clearly a wrong move. As we have discussed previously about Patrick Roberts, he is a creative talent and needs to be with a team that spends lots of time attacking, sides fighting relegation would be unable to get the ball to him enough to see the benefit of giving him a shirt. It was the classic square peg/round hole problem – one we should be on the lookout for again.

To know the value of the player, Celtic would have to uncover knowledge only visible at Portuguese and Spanish reserve level games. The resources required to cover this much ground is unfathomable through traditional means. You are looking at the result of very effective analytics.

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  2. Tontine Tim on

    RON BACARDI on 2ND JULY 2022 9:19 PM

     

    TONTINE TIM

     

     

    Was St Eunanans Clydebank.

     

     

    *or as we called it St Onions, memories of a Friday night playing on the ash park at Clyde Street ???

  4. petec on

    The TOP BUZZ track currently running is We will live as 1 Family (well thats the Sonic)

     

     

    Mad to get yer head around this.

     

     

    When we Leave this Life I am Certain we are (all the CQN Massive) gonnae have the best (George) Ever games of Fitba where we play the Greatest Evah fitba that could only be Imagined.

     

     

    We are Truly Blessed.

  5. Stephbhoy67 on

    MADMITCH on 2ND JULY 2022 7:34 PM

     

     

    Regards the estate for football, we can make steady progress and do that within our budget or we can throw money into it at the expense of other areas of the club. All businesses needs to keep overheads to a min and to get maximum use out of its investments in this regard celtic are no different. We don’t need 2 indoor training centres.

     

     

    I would love celtic to have the best of everything for the supporters and players when using training facilities but celtic have limited resources so have to balance out spending accordingly.

     

     

    Stadia improvement, musuem, restaurants, cafes, bars, superstore, hotels etc around the stadium add to the overall pot and should be prioritised due to there revenue making potential over vanity projects and the notion we should be able to keep up with EPL clubs that get 100 million min per season for being in their league.

     

     

    Also it’s easy to point out money wasted on players such as barkas and ajeti and say how that could have been used to improve training centre etc but fail to recognise the money spent to bring in guys like jota and kayogo which could easily have gone the same way as those previously mentioned.

     

     

    I do think DD and his guys could find a way if they wanted to push ahead with significant infustructure projects in and around the stadium and the training ground. Nothing would give me more pleasure than to see celtic transform into an elite European football team.

     

     

    HH

  7. Turkeybhoy on

    Refurbishing the ruins at Lennox town,and turning them into a Snooker Hall,5,grand a year membership,with 10,000 members,would cost in the region of 10 million ,at the metric rate of 1 pound,10 shillings,and 11p per sq foot.A Bond scheme,any old Bonds,War Bonds,James Bonds Premium Bonds etc will do,and could raise a further 80 million on top of the 100 million yearly from the Snooker hall.Added onto the 200 million turnover for the year,would give us,nearly 860 million over a year,as long as its a leap one,and allow us to build a 200,000 seat stadium.

     

    We could transfer the salvage from present stadium,at the cost of 1 pound 4 shillings and threepence per Sq foot ,making Batrowfield a 50,000,seated stadium,for less than 12,200,pound.

     

     

     

    But don’t quote me.I

  8. Celtic Mac on

    Incredible level of tennis from both Kyrgios – Tsitsipas in the match just finished

     

    Fireworks doesn’t cover it

  10. bognorbhoy on

    E-Tims Retweeted

     

    Celticbars

     

    @celticbars

     

    ·

     

    53m

     

    Thanks to all the CSC’s and individuals who have contacted me today with regards to my project. Thanks to

     

    @cfcliamk96

     

    who explained how publishing books works, so this History of Celtic Supporters Club will a goer. My DM’s are open for any CSC who wants to send me their history.

  11. Ron Bacardi on

    TONTINE TIM

     

     

    Yes. St Eunans did not have a home ground so we shared the gravel/ash pitch that was Our Holy Redeemers behind Clyde Street. Was first time I remember scoring a hat trick. After that we moved to the red pitch of St Columba school in North Drumry.

  13. Timbhoy163 on

    MADMITCH Have they started to work on Barrowfield Training Ground ,MADMITCH as a matter of interest,do you think the Hotel and other projects will ever be built ,I noticed the other day just down from The Emirates Springfield Rd end,spare land nothing on it ,any ideas what could be used for .

  14. GFTB on

    I listened to Leigh on radio Scotland today, I hope the wee mhan gets a club … still love him, a bit like Neil, I appreciate everything they won for us and not what they didn’t do … we love on .. Celtic is our constant, loving Jota’s interviews … even more when he mentioned him leaving Benfica was like KT leaving Celtic … that’s the fitba analogy we love

     

     

    Ron Bacardi … keep at it … any positive for you & the family are great things to read (especially if it keeps the better half happy :-)

     

     

    Hail Hail

  15. petec on

    Gerry, Leigh was different class.

     

     

    Even now when he is reflecting in the media? Not sure he is daeing whit he should be doing.

     

     

    I’d advise him to read/listen to the New Testament.

  18. GFTB on

    Petec 10.04pm

     

     

    Leigh said himself … (like many many others) sometimes you don’t realise what you have till it’s gone

     

     

    I love him … no judgement from me, he probably knows he flicked up more than anybody else telling him … anyway my last post was … we move on, Kyogo, Giamakous, Abada, Jota, and co now have the chance of the affection of the Celtic support …

     

     

    Good times … although in my opinion there is never a bad time with Celtic … some just a little less more enjoyable in your mind …. it’s the less enjoyable seasons that make us appreciate the very very good times we reside in 🍀

  20. Stephbhoy67 on

    !!BADA BING!! on 2ND JULY 2022 8:56 PM

     

    We bid twice for Hickey about 15 months ago…..£14 million and add ons …ffs

     

    …….

     

     

    Think hearts have 20% sell on, if so 2.8 million to them. They will then need to pass on 840k of that to celtic because they owe us 30% of future transfers fee (included because their sell on falls into that sell on aģreement).

     

     

    5% of the overall transfer will go to celtic for youth player development so around140k because he is under 24. The 5% is very low for development clubs. uefa ought to up that to 15% to help distribute money throughout football clubs to stop rich clubs stockpiling young players.

     

     

    HH

  21. petec on

    Gerry,

     

     

    I think we are gonnae Bloody a few noses in Europe this upcoming Season, and I mean the Champions League.

     

     

    I Cannae wait to see this Dynamite Celtic team transpiring before our eyes.

  24. Burnley78 on

    St Tams

     

     

    Re the Eden Mill Fusion

     

     

    Lucky you. They must love you a lot.

     

     

    I am not sure whether to advise you to drink it or save it ?

     

     

    It really is a pretty unique creation. A marriage of Japanese and Scotch whisky but finished in an Australian red wine cask.

     

     

    There is not much left ( most of it will seek in Japan ) and just about every rule in whisky making has to be broken or challenged to make it.

     

     

    I doubt they would ever allow it to be done again.

     

     

    It was really expensive to make but we think it will have a huge scarcity value and collectibility…..but it is also a really lovely dram.

     

     

    We just thought it was a brilliant match for what we all saw in a special season on the park and with the club.

     

     

    Whatever you do …. Enjoy.

  25. GFTB on

    Petec 10.22pm

     

     

    Betis & Leverkusen away give me a bit of hope for CL, Leverkusen at home we had great chances but again it’s a year on … considering we got more points in the EL group stages than the losing finalists …

     

     

    I share your optimism …. I think Ange with a full pre season with the players, especially our Japanese bhoys who played constantly for past year or so … and obviously hope our Argentinean Bhoy settles on well but I think Greg Taylor is a far better player than a lot of his own fans think :-) … I suppose it’s all about those dam pesky opinions

  26. Burnley78 on

    Celtic Mac

     

     

    Brilliant Tennis 🎾 between 2 guys I really like.

     

     

    Nick reminds me of myself at racket sports …..but he has talent ….. I just had the anger and frustration and histrionics with most points I lost 😡

     

     

    As a player he is a total genius. If only he got a coach to harness this skill goodness knows what he could achieve.

     

     

    So good to see such an open competition this year.

     

     

    Incredible sports day today with 2 really close Rugby games and amazing cricket balanced by events on No 1 court at Wimbledon.

     

     

    4 weeks and 1 day until the real sport ⚽️ starts again though.

  27. petec on

    Burnley78,

     

     

    Everyone and anyone is catching the Latest.

     

     

     

    My Dad done a video thing with Michaela Strachan, protecting the Geese, its Mad seeing yer Dad on mainstream tele.

     

     

    Michaela is still looking good doing her wildlife job.

     

     

    She, after the Hitman and Her, She is actually Special.

     

     

    GRRRRR Dad didnae get me talking to you.

     

     

    BABE – and I wouldnae have hud any words to David Hay.

  33. IniquitousIV on

    PETEC

     

    Love your enthusiasm, but we are going to do diddly squat in the Champions League until we get a fast natural left footer in Starfelt’s position, and crucially, someone who can hold our midfield together when we don’t have the ball. Anytime we lost the ball at home against teams like Leverkusen and Bodo last season, our defensive spacing was all over the place and they went through us like a knife through butter. Regardless of their other talents, midfielders like McGregor, Turnbull and the erstwhile Rogic can’t tackle a fish supper, and we need someone in there who can. Basically, we need a player in the Fernandinho or Fabinho type mould. Hopefully, it will be Souza.

  37. GFTB on

    INIQUITOUSIV 11.05pm

     

     

    Going with your logic …

     

     

    How did we win the league last season … if your logic is based on how we performed in the same league as the previous season ???

     

     

    At least try and hope we can do better in every competition we enter (maybe the multiple trophies we have won make some fans a bit entitled) why not just “hope” we do better and enjoy it win lose or draw

  38. GFTB on

    INIQUITOUSIV 11.05pm

     

     

    I know it’s only an opinion but do you honestly think Ange’s opinion on Carl Starfelt is worth less than your own ?

     

     

    It’s ok for us as fans to like or not like players but you actually think you know that Celtic will do nothing if Starfelt is playing in that position … do you not think Ange deserves, or even Carl deserves a bit of support, I realise our defence might need to step up a bit in Europe … but we could actually improve as the defence grow with each other … I realise the Spl is the Spl but as a defence they can grow … and I think Leverkusen & Betis away show we aren’t as bad as some fans think we are

  40. Celtic Mac on

    burnley78

     

     

    Just back from watching Inspector Montelbano. Capiche?

     

    Not sure if they ever used that in the series, maybe a New York thing.

     

    Seeding at Wimbers is a funny thing, but to see those two play each other in the first week, incredible.

     

    Made the point a couple of weeks back that not playing the World Cup gave us a chance to enjoy all the other sports this summer, just like we used to, tennis being one. Not to say I’m not looking forward to Celtic’s first competitive game, against Aberdeen, but that is still a month away. Lot of sport before that, even two major golf tournaments in Scotland, North Berwick and St Andrews. Not to mention Aberdour is it?

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