Scottish champions Celtic proceed their march in the direction of the league title, with the Old Firm outfit having been in actually relentless kind throughout supervisor Ange Postecoglou’s time on the helm so far.
The 57-year-old’s regime has confirmed notably profitable close to the membership’s recruitment, with the Parkhead giants having introduced in a complete host of hidden gems and discount skills who’ve gone on to thrive in Glasgow.
That exceptional switch coverage underneath the one-time Australia head coach has been essential to the membership’s on-field success, with the Hoops maybe wishing that such astute market dealings had been commonplace earlier than the title-winning coach’s arrival.
One notable howler that occurred previous to Postecoglou’s tenure was the failure to snap up present Rangers talisman, James Tavernier, with the Bhoys having seemingly had the prospect to convey the Englishman to Scotland previous to his subsequent transfer to Ibrox.
That’s based on present Stevenage boss Steve Evans – who coached the 31-year-old through the defender’s mortgage stint at Rotherham within the 2013/14 season – with the veteran supervisor revealing earlier this yr that he really helpful the full-back to these at Celtic Park.
Somewhat frustratingly, the powers that be did not act on that suggestion because the Bradford-born machine – who was on the books at Newcastle United on the time – subsequently went on to affix Wigan Athletic in 2014, earlier than becoming a member of the Gers for a reported payment of simply £220k a yr later.
That determine has confirmed one thing of a snip so far as the participant’s present facet are involved, with Tavernier having emerged as a true main asset for the Scottish Premiership outfit over the previous seven years, proving a actually deadly presence in an attacking sense, particularly.
The forward-thinking right-back has been merely “unstoppable” at instances – within the phrases of former boss Steven Gerrard – having racked up 91 targets and 112 assists in 373 video games for the membership up to now, with that a actually staggering haul for a participant in his place.
Those “scary numbers” – as described by pundit Kenny Miller – included a tally of 35 purpose involvements in all competitions final time period as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s facet reached the Europa League closing, with that haul larger than any Celtic participant achieved within the 2021/22 campaign.
Equally, regardless of the Ibrox facet’s notable struggles this time round – having slipped nine factors behind within the title race and endured the worst group stage efficiency in Champions League historical past – the £30k-per-week ace has nonetheless been one thing of a shining mild, with eight targets and 5 assists already so far.
That file is little doubt larger than that of fellow full-back, Josip Juranovic, for example, with the Croatian star having solely registered six targets and three assists in complete since making the £2.5m change to Paradise in the summertime of 2021, together with solely two purpose involvements this season.
As a lot as it could ache supporters to confess, Tavernier may nicely have thrived in Postecoglou’s attacking system had he been snapped up all these years in the past, with the Hoops probably regretting their choice to not transfer for a participant who has gone on to blossom on the opposite facet of town.