The march of Jamestown Analytics continues with Union Saint-Gilloise remarkable win at Dutch champions PSV last night. The Belgians led 0-3 until PSV scored a 90th minute consolation. Dutch and Belgian football have now both been humbled by Tony Bloom’s system. Change is in the wind for Scotland.
It hurts not being involved in the Champions League and I expect it will hurt more if Kairat go down meekly at Sporting on Thursday. If the Kazakhs were able to put a few points on the table this season it would soften the blow of elimination.
The prospect of a Europa League game at Red Star one week from today is daunting enough. I doubt we are ready for the rigours of a Champions League campaign. I’m telling myself we need a season in the Europa to pick up some coefficient points. Hmmm.
163 Comments- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- »
??
One team in Dutch football has been beaten by a Belgian team.
Calm your knickers for goodness sake.
This has the hallmarks of “Kwon had a great debut for St Mirren, he would have been ready for the Champions League” about it now.
Hate heights. Ave Ave
Post Scriptum – Dizzy Champions League feeling gone Europa League awry. Ave Ave
Well done to USG – good to see an ambitious club being rewarded with success. I’m assuming they don’t worry about pulling too far in front of any of their domestic competitors?
If Hearts be all they can be and we be all we can be , we will always finish comfortably ahead of Hearts .
Recent events have shown us that we are far from being all we can be however and this needs addressed as a matter of urgency .
As for Kairat , I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for them to garner many CL points . They were absolutely toothless over 210 minutes against the most aenemic Celtic performance for quite some time
James Forrest on 17th September 2025 12:03 pm
James, are you on the steering committee for “the movement” ?
Is it true it has 23 volunteers ?
I think this squad will get a couple of doings in the Europa League…
Paul67
I can’t believe we’re still not talking about an individual talking to the press about our manager?
When you look at what other teams are doing its as clear as crystal that we aren’t the best Celtic we could be and we wont be if we continue along the path we’re on.
Easy enough to point the finger at the old scapegoats, look back on the good times as a touchstone, get caught up in ego driven internal conflicts, as a way of distracting us from whats starting us un the face. Small mindedness and intercine conflict has us going backwards while the rest of the smart guys in football make us less and less relevant.
We shouldn’t dismiss this sort of clear evidence out of hand. USG sit top of the Belgian pro league and have got off to a flier against a decent PSV away from home. Their net spend was -€51m in the Summer. They bought seven players in the Summer for all for under £4m each. Last season 8 players for less than £22m. Record transfer fee paid €6.5m for a player.
Wise up Celtic, its staring you in the face.
Empire building is holding Celtic back. Either embrace the new technology thats changing the world or become obsolete fast
Tony Blooms system has not worked very well at Sheffield United. The manager sacked after six games. All defeats. Back to the old system of appointing managers and Chris Wilder re- appointed. Seven or eight players brought in under the Bloom system. So far none of them seem good enough.
Man’s got a ball and he’s running with it.
No harm in shaking us out of our lethargy, ignorance and cynicism.
Two great philosophers (!), Sy Oliver and Trummy Young, once wrote
“T’aint what you do, it’s the way that you do it”
Genuine question Paul.
Does Celtic FC have the correct strategy, structure and skill sets in place to do this lark effectively?
(Obviously, given the latest recruitment bun fight we don’t have the culture yet)
Is a Vegan worser than a Kafflik?
Read this abstract: https://www.sloansportsconference.com/research-papers/decomposing-the-immeasurable-sport-a-deep-learning-expected-possession-value-framework-for-soccer
A TL:DR video for those who prefer visuals: https://www.lukebornn.com/sloan_epv_curve.mp4
Those interested can download the full paper. It’s part of the huge output of the Barcelona FC Innovation Hub, an open innovation programme for sports with a specific focus on football. More here: https://barcainnovationhub.fcbarcelona.com/investigation/
NB This paper was published in 2019 before three generations of AI became available. 2019! What now?
We read a lot about Jamestown Analytics largely because of their investment in Hearts locally and the success they’ve had with Brighton and USG. What isn’t so readily known is the huge, MAHOOSIVE investment in analytics going on at every major club (and many minor clubs) in Europe, of which Barca’s is unique in being ‘open’. Everyone else guards their secrets very closely.
I took a look at Liverpool’s set up yesterday – a team of junior Data Analysts, senior Data Analysts and Lead Researchers reporting to a Director of Research. They’re all maths & Physics grads and PhDs, ex Harvard for example, lots of horse power. Liverpool started to build this team in 2012. It’s now central to their entire football operation and informs all aspects of decision making from training to tactics to transfers.
From Bayern to Brentford to Midtjylland to Madrid, the football world is increasingly driven by technology, and results are increasingly determined by it.
I look at our Board and I wonder if we are equipped to understand the new landscape, let alone compete in it. Here they are with their professional credentials and relevant current/recent experience:
Tom Allison, property developer, NED
Brian Wilson, Politician, newspaper publishing
Peter Lawwell, Accountant, football executive
Sharon Brown, Accountant, retail management, NED
Brian Rose – Exec in Music and Film industry, Director of Content at Apple UK
Dermot Desmond, Investment Banker, investor
Michael Nicholson, Lawyer, sports/football/contract law, football executive
Chris MacKay, Accountant, financial consultancy
What are the core interests, the key skills, the thing that gets each of them up in the morning? Who among them can see the direction of travel, generate new ideas and carry the confidence of colleagues to invest in a novel area that exists in another orbit from the one they spin in?
Where are the Innovators? The Ideas people? I’m pretty sure we have enough folk qualified to count and value the ideas, if only someone would come up with them.
We don’t need the onset of technology to make us obsolete, we’re doing perfectly well on our own.
Technology absolutely has its place however we can have the best statistics in the world churning out names of players valued at £5M-£6M but if our CEO is only prepared to offer half to two thirds of that valuation, unless it is the last two days of the window, the we aren’t going to be in the conversation for players who could assist us.
SPRINGHILL BHOY on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2025 12:49 PM
Tony Bloom has nothing to do with Sheffield United.
Quite looking forward to Europa League to be honest. I think we will do well.
the terror of a seven goal drubbing isnt as strong this time of the year as it is with CL on the horizon
What? A football team led by individuals who want to take it as far as it can?
It will never catch on…..
TBB Some great points there . Will read your links later when I have time .
You can only marvel at the complex science behind the identification of former McInnes player Findlay and Shankland, who was previously at, err, Hearts!
One immediate and rather childish response to the lead article should not deflect from a clearer evaluation of the USG phenomenon. This is clearly showing an economical use of resources and growing success rate.
Perhaps, those wishing to dish it could do so with better evidence rather than simplistic attacks and verbose ramblings elsewhere.
.
Qarabag beat Benfica in Lisbon, football in Asia can’t be that bad then, we didn’t have the squad to break 2 defensive lines both at home and away they played for penalties it worked, the squad needed help it wasn’t forthcoming from those charged with recruiting.
Don’t hold your breath Croftcelt. These rants from characters who seem infuriated by this blog – maybe because it allows for differences of opinion – but can’t stay away, are par for the course.
in.
The idea that our club recruiters are sitting round with an abacus and a printout of transfermarkt from 2020 is laughable. Paul’s on record here insisting we have data analytics and a trading system – but his article is a cloaked attack on the manager’s preference for match proven players.
On that topic, I think Inamura is unfortunate atm. He seems at least on a par with Saracchi and Donovan; to my eyes, he’s a much crisper, more accurate and creative passer of the ball. Looked sharp in early debuts.
Possibly he’s an escaped goat for the manager’s displeasure.
Anyways, I thought USG was one of they designer clobber shops ??
The recent Club Statement which caused so much of a backlash looked to me like it had been penned in part by AI. Perhaps our club is so sophisticated that AI cannot pick up the nuances among the Celtic support.
Similarly Analytics based on statistics cannot cope with Celtic supporters including many posters on this blog who can immediately decide on players ability after a few minutes. For Example, Balikwisha is pish and Tounetki is a superstar.
Tierney and Schmicheal are done is also a common complaint from the same experts. Although they know all about transfers and Internal workings of the Celtic system like all good players were signed by Brendan and poor performers were Board signings!!
Crystal Ball CSC
When purchasing their 7 summer recruits .
Did Saint Gallen wait until the
Last day of the window to purchase them ?
Did they lowball their offers and the selling clubs cave in ?
Answers on a postcard please .
TT
DESSYBHOY on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2025 1:27 PM
To be fair, Qarabag are owned by a state-owned holding company which includes oil wealth. Kairat don’t compare on or off the field.
We’ll see how they compare at the end of this campaign, I guess.
THE BATTERED BUNNET on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2025 12:56 PM
Thanks for that. I would think that the sort of scale that you’re talking about at City and Bayern Munich would be beyond our means, and we’re coming at it from a different place to clubs like Brighton and Brentford who’s clubs seems to have been built up on the back of it, but we have to find a way of competing. Jamestown Analytics isnt actually owned by Bloom, but I would imagine theres a very strong connection there, I think he owned it, or at least one of his companies did but dont anymore, so we wont be getting access to it, but we need to find our own way.
I went to a talk by this guy on Monday, this wasnt it but I think some of the general principles are there
https://youtu.be/CuAr0ouCMiQ?si=FxfFn9HPwtCWGlnO
The website promoting the talk says this: “Artificial intelligence is no longer confined to crunching numbers—it is beginning to propose original theorems, sketch proofs and reveal new and unexpected patterns in the abstract world of mathematics.” The lecturer said that AI is making progress in solving the unsolved problems in the Millennium Problem. Thats real practical use of AI to solve problems that have escaped the best human minds for decades. Mathematicians are embracing it, they arent threatened by it, they see the opportunities, maths and physics graduates will be used to the concept of machine learning being used to solve complex problems
I read (from two analysts!) that in most clubs now most of the manger’s time is spent with analysts. We need to make sure we have people in place who see it the same way.
I dont think a comparatively straightforward problem like finding good footballers to fit a successful model should be beyond it. Although we’re seriously struggling with a pretty basic corporate issue at the moment so perhaps its beyond us.
Kairat have managed to sell their superstar to Chelsea, if they continue to defend like they did they might get a couple of points. Celtic with our present squad will struggle in the EL, but as you say wait and see.
Quadrophenian – we have to assume Brendan thinks at least some aspects of his game need development, possibly tackling. In which case he should possibly be out on loan? He is 23 after all, not a kid. But I agree he looked technically and positionally good with a real drive about his play, as does Yamada.
GLASSTWOTHIRDSFULL on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2025 1:12 PM
Last year Hearts were named fourth in The Fair Game Index for best run clubs in the UK
Shankland was excellent on Sunday against The Huns, their manager is getting the best out of the players he’s been given to work with, the new signings have fitted in, they sit top of the league.
When you get as much right off and on the pitch as they are, success generally follows
Bhoys Town and springhill bhoy.
New posters? Are you a huns?
HH
No corporation tax bill for Man utd on a turnover of 660 odd million.
AN TEARMANN – as I try to write in sentences I hope that answers the question.
HH
I think our excellent development planning meant that when Stephen Welsh went out on loan we used up all 6 outgoing loans we are allowed. Might be wrong