The Huddle Breakdown: The Huddle Breakdown Podcast

Celtic vs Celta Vigo: The Data Behind Another Europa League Defeat | Huddle Breakdown Extra Time

Andrew Ramsay — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 19:37:10 GMT

Celtic fell to another Europa League defeat, losing to Celta Vigo at Celtic Park, and on this Huddle Breakdown Extra Time, Martin, James and Alan get into why the Hoops keep hammering teams in the Scottish Premiership and then get carved open in Europe. James reports from his first European night at Paradise. He also shares UEFA tracking data showing Callum McGregor has covered 37.4km in three Europa League games, the second most in the whole competition. Alan breaks down the structural issues behind Celtic giving up more shots than they take, a lopsided left side, and the “Engels-sized hole” on the right. He also says Oliver Sorensen is being set up to fail. The panel discusses board accountability, the roughly £300m in missed Champions League money, the SPFL TV rights tender, and the Conference League coefficient problem facing Scottish football. They finish by previewing Sunday’s lunchtime trip to Easter Road to face bottom-of-the-table Hibs under their new manager, after David Gray’s sacking.

Celtic 7-1 Hearts | The Data Behind the Demolition + Celta Vigo Preview

Andrew Ramsay — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 18:51:01 GMT

Celtic thrash Hearts 7-1 at Celtic Park, and James and Alan dig into the data behind the Scottish Premiership demolition. Hearts had more possession and more shots but were blown away on xG. It’s a scoreline that echoes Germany 7-1 Brazil, and the packing numbers tell a similar story. We break down why Hearts’ bold possession game plan backfired, how Callum Osmand’s first professional start on the left wing set the tone, Benjamin Nygren’s movement, Kieran Tierney’s performance, and whether Celtic’s pace up front makes them a counter-attacking force in the Europa League. We also ask whether the 7-1 really fixed Celtic’s structural problems, use MLB payrolls and analytics staff to look at how smaller clubs close resource gaps, and preview Celtic vs Celta Vigo. The topics include xG, variance, set pieces, game state and what the result means for the season ahead.

Benfica 4-1 Celtic: Set Up to Fail? Tounekti, Høgh & Hearts Preview | Extra Time

Andrew Ramsay — Sun, 18 Oct 2026 04:01:41 GMT

Celtic were beaten 4-1 by Benfica in Lisbon in the Europa League, and on this Huddle Breakdown Extra Time, Martin, Alan and James break down why. Alan uses packing data to show that Benfica cut through Celtic’s front three 14 times in the first half alone, and asks why Martin O’Neill left Oliver Sørensen in a number 10 role that doesn’t suit him. The guys go through all four goals and Viljami Sinisalo’s goalkeeping. Alan’s data shows how much Sebastian Tounekti’s output drops in big games compared with Gianluca Prestianni, and the panel discusses Kasper Høgh’s struggles and whether Camilo Durán should now start through the middle. To finish, they preview Celtic v Hearts in the Scottish Premiership, covering Hearts’ set-piece threat, their new style of play and the luck that has gone their way so far. Plus details of our supporters’ meetup in Glasgow city centre on Monday 26 October.

Ben Lyttleton: Martin O’Neill, Moneyball & Why Celtic Need a Sporting Director | The Huddle Breakdown Interview

Andrew Ramsay — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:28:22 GMT

Football author and executive Ben Lyttleton (Twelve Yards, Edge, Football School) joins Alan and James on The Huddle Breakdown Interview to talk about how data analytics is changing football and what that means for Celtic. Ben goes behind the scenes of the Netherlands’ penalty data before the 2010 World Cup final. He explains why your best penalty taker should go first or fourth, and why most Premier League transfers fail. He also makes the case for a sporting director as the “guardian of the culture.” Then the conversation turns to Martin O’Neill. Ben explains how the man-management strengths that won Celtic the Scottish Premiership title are now being held against him, and how a well-run club should handle a short-term slump. They also cover over-optimisation, the comeback of the dribbling winger, and why creativity may be the one thing AI can’t predict. Ben ends with why football is still a force for good.

Is Shaun Maloney Really Running Celtic Now? | Motherwell Breakdown & Benfica Preview

Andrew Ramsay — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:25:09 GMT

Celtic produced their most dominant performance in weeks at Fir Park, and Alan and James break down the data from the Motherwell win. After Liam Scales talked about the player meetings, has Celtic’s game model shifted back towards Ange-ball? Is Shaun Maloney now effectively running the team under Martin O’Neill? The guys cover the expected goals (xG), the packing numbers behind Kieran Tierney’s huge game and Bauer’s man-of-the-match display. They also cover Jota’s emotional return after three years away and why a striker’s underlying numbers don’t match the doubters. Then they look at the Scottish Premiership weekend: Rangers’ flattering win over Kilmarnock, why Hearts are a real title threat, and the “two Frankensteins” in Glasgow. To finish, a Europa League preview of Benfica, and the hard truth about how far Scotland has fallen in Opta’s European league rankings.

Celtic's £300m Left on the Table, Scotland Déjà Vu & Motherwell Preview

Andrew Ramsay — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 21:25:49 GMT

Is the Celtic board as successful as it claims? On this week’s Huddle Breakdown Extra Time, James benchmarks Celtic FC against Club Brugge, Sporting CP and PSV Eindhoven on revenue, matchday income, wages, player amortisation and player trading. His conclusion is that weak player trading and missed Champions League football have cost the club £300M or more under Dermot Desmond’s model, and that domestic trophies hide how far behind its European peers it has fallen. Alan explains why Scotland’s Nations League loss to Slovenia felt so familiar to Celtic fans. He also covers the knives coming out for the new manager, and why Ryan Christie, not Lewis Ferguson, should partner Billy Gilmour. Then he breaks down the Speedboat League variance data: Celtic are losing almost half a goal a game to poor finishing and to opposition goalkeepers having the best run of any SPFL side against them. Plus Falkirk’s upswing, Dundee’s “cockroach” luck, and a full Motherwell vs Celtic preview ahead of Sunday at Fir Park.

Tennis Ball Gate, the Celtic Statement & Why the League Table Lies | The Huddle Breakdown

Andrew Ramsay — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 02:01:58 GMT

James and Alan break down Tennis Ball Gate at St Andrews and the club's furious Saturday night statement. They ask whether the growing split between the Celtic board, Dermot Desmond and the support can be repaired, or whether escalation and personal targeting will only deepen it. The pair look at why domestic trophies and a healthy balance sheet can't justify Celtic's European record against similarly sized clubs, and what proper benchmarking, expected trophies and modern football governance would look like. James explains his "Anderlechtification" fear. In the second half, Alan relaunches the Speedboat League, his expected points table for the Scottish Premiership, along with the Banked League projection. They cover xG, luck, variance and randomness, why the league table lies, whether Hibs were right to sack David Gray, and how tight the Celtic vs Rangers title race really is after seven games. More data-driven Celtic analysis at huddlebreakdown.com.

Man City, Rangers 2012 & Celtic's Coherence Crisis | Subscriber Q&A

Andrew Ramsay — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 03:58:59 GMT

Is the Manchester City case Scottish football's Rangers 2012 all over again? In this Huddle Breakdown Extra Time, host Martin Murphy is joined by Alan and James to compare the Premier League's handling of Man City with the Lord Nimmo Smith Commission into Rangers. They also ask why the clubs' own fans were victims too, and look at the UAE geopolitics that could shape the outcome. Then it's into your subscriber questions on Celtic. Who's the signing of the season so far? Is Callum McGregor reaching a hinge point, and should he play deeper? Is Cameron Carter-Vickers still Celtic's most important defender? The data on why Celtic's pressing stats hide a real problem: possession down from 73% to 60%, more shots conceded, and set pieces now a net negative. Should Martin O'Neill stay? What would Alan and James do if they were Dermot Desmond for a day? And how do the Rangers investors ever get their money back? Data-driven Celtic analysis from The Huddle Breakdown. Read more at huddlebreakdown.com.

Man City, Rangers & the Story Scottish Media Won't Touch | Celtic's Identity Crisis, Carter-Vickers & Stephen Welsh

Andrew Ramsay — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 02:31:36 GMT

As the Premier League's Man City case dominates headlines worldwide, Alan and James ask why the Scottish football media has stayed almost completely silent, and what the parallels with Rangers' 2012 liquidation, the EBT scandal and the obstruction of investigators reveal about football governance, power and accountability. The Huddle Breakdown then turns to Celtic. Alan has rewatched the games from his time away and comes back with a stark verdict on Martin O'Neill's management team drifting from Celtic's possession-based playing model. James brings StatsBomb pace-to-goal and xG-conceded data showing Celtic losing control. They also discuss Cameron Carter-Vickers' honest comments about confusion in the squad, revisit Stephen Welsh's Celtic legacy as he starts for Scotland and Swansea, and take hope from Scotland's cohesive display against Slovenia in the Nations League.

Celtic's Systemic Collapse, a £4.8m Loss & the "Least Bad Option"

Andrew Ramsay — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 20:03:08 GMT

Alan is back from Japan and straight into the wreckage of Celtic's three straight defeats, capped by a 1-0 derby loss to Rangers at Celtic Park. With James and Martin, he argues it was a systemic collapse, not a question of individual effort, and backs it with the numbers: Rangers won the ball back with 42% of their pressures, the highest figure in six-plus seasons of our data. We look at Martin O'Neill's tactics, why asking Celtic's centre-backs to hit 50-yard channel balls played straight into Derek McInnes's hands, the Callum McGregor question, and why Celtic are now playing a game of "least bad option." Then we go through Celtic's 2026 financial results: a £4.8m loss after tax, revenue down 22.7%, and why the £66.4m cash headline is really closer to £31m once you strip out season ticket money. We also cover the Champions League money left on the table, why Scotland pays a Saudi-level premium for players, how a new stand could realistically be funded, and the title race with Rangers and Hearts. Plus Poetry Corner.

Celtic 0-1 Rangers: The Worst Home Derby in a Decade (The Data Explained)

Andrew Ramsay — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 03:28:27 GMT

Celtic's 1-0 defeat to Rangers at Parkhead was, by the numbers, the worst home Old Firm performance of the Wyscout era: an xG difference of -1.91, just three shots to Rangers' 14, and a long-ball rate roughly triple Celtic's historical norm. James is joined again by Rhiann (DataBhoys) to rewatch and dissect the debacle, including the confusing team selection and shifting formations, Callum McGregor's 14 possession losses, and why "the players didn't try" is the wrong conclusion. They then zoom out to the bigger picture: the "Frankenstein" clash between Celtic's legacy possession game model and Martin O'Neill's more direct approach, season-to-date data on xG conceded, possession, build-up turnovers and clearances that suggest one of the weakest Celtic sides in recent memory, the club's lack of strategy at executive level, and what Celtic's preliminary financial results really say about the club's cash position.

Celtic Are Broken | Celtic 1-3 Ferencváros & Derby Preview

Andrew Ramsay — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 20:13:16 GMT

Celtic’s 3-1 home defeat to Ferencváros capped a miserable week, and on this episode of The Huddle Breakdown Extra Time, Martin Murphy is joined by James and Heath to work out how much of it can possibly be fixed before Sunday’s Glasgow Derby. The panel goes deep into the tactical wreckage: a press with no triggers and no cohesion in the front line, a rest defence so open that every turnover turns into a jailbreak, Callum McGregor dropping into a 3-2-5 build-up that strands Bauer and Sorensen as a makeshift two, and a game model James calls “Frankenstein” — half Ange, half Rodgers, functioning as neither. There’s a look at Ross Grant’s set-piece work and Celtic’s front-post obsession, a close read of how Derek McInnes set Rangers up at Ibrox and what he might try at Parkhead, genuine praise for James Forrest’s performance, and a blunt assessment of the squad depth problem that shows up around the 70th minute. Plus: why Rangers have a Frankenstein of their own after Dan Purdy’s exit, where Celtic can actually hurt them, and what a bad result on Sunday means with Rangers two points behind and a brutal six-week run of fixtures ahead.

Rangers 3-0 Celtic: Why Celtic's Game Model Is BROKEN | Tactical Breakdown + Ferencváros Preview

Andrew Ramsay — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 04:57:47 GMT

Celtic were humbled 3-0 by Rangers at Ibrox, and The Huddle Breakdown goes beyond the hot takes to explain why. With Alan away in Tokyo, James is joined by data analyst Rhian (RhiCam on Substack, @databhoys on X) for a tactical and data-driven breakdown of the Old Firm derby. They cover Derek McInnes' man-marking plan, James Penrice's dual role, the Hassan and goalkeeper selection calls, Celtic's disjointed press, and Callum McGregor dropping between the centre-backs. The bigger question is whether Celtic's possession game model is now outdated, since opponents like Rangers, LASK and Club Brugge have worked out how to neutralise it. They also preview Thursday's Europa League match against Ferencváros, with PPDA pressing numbers, the inverted full-backs, key players to watch and how Martin O'Neill should line up to take three points

Can Celtic's Defense Survive Ibrox? | First Derby of the Season Preview + St Johnstone Reaction

Andrew Ramsay — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 03:21:39 GMT

Martin, James, and returning guest Heath break down Celtic's 1-0 win away at St Johnstone — a game that delivered three points but raised plenty of questions, from a flat first half and an experimental 3-2-5 to Mika Bauer's match-winner and Sam Johnstone's debut in goal. James shares striking benchmarking data on Hassan, Celtic's brilliant but baffling winger — 99th percentile for dribbles and crosses, near-zero for defensive work — and asks whether the pieces up front actually fit together. Then it's the big one: a full Glasgow Derby preview ahead of the League Cup tie at Ibrox, with a data-driven look at Derek McInnes's Rangers, their shift toward direct football, Celtic's alarming open-play xG conceded, and the selection debate over Duran, Hogh, and Hassan. Plus League Cup history, lineup predictions, and a wee bit of poetry corner.

Celtic & The League's Tactical Revolution | Scottish Football Has Gone BOX OFFICE

Andrew Ramsay — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 02:46:55 GMT

James is joined by special guest co-host Quinny (filling in for Alan, currently sampling sushi in Japan) to break down Celtic's 2-1 win away at St Mirren and what it tells us about this evolving Celtic side. They dig into Hassan's "gravitational pull" on the wing and whether his end product will catch up to his athleticism, Liam Scales' surprisingly dynamic left back role, and how the new-look midfield is adding verticality to Celtic's game model. Then they zoom out for a whip-around of the Scottish Premiership's tactical revolution — why half the league's managers are changing philosophy, why teams are getting punished for pressing, and why Scottish football is suddenly box office viewing — before previewing Wednesday's trip to St Johnstone. Data-driven Celtic FC analysis, every week on The Huddle Breakdown.

Celtic's New Signings RATED: Van den Berg Hype, Johnstone Doubts & a Top of Table Clash at St Mirren

Andrew Ramsay — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 12:57:54 GMT

With Alan away in the Far East, Martin and James welcome Celtic analytics community scout Heath Timpe to break down a huge week for Celtic FC. The panel reviews the win over Aberdeen — Yang's electric man-of-the-match display, Duran's ridiculous finishing form, and why Hassan's crossing is driving everyone mad — before diving into Celtic's transfer deadline signings: PSV wonderkid Yoel Van den Berg, Feyenoord loan fullback Jordan Latombe, Sorensen, teenage Chelsea striker Mukko, and ex-England goalkeeper Sam Johnstone. Plus a data-driven look at the Europa League squad and a full tactical preview of Saturday's top-of-the-table clash away to a rebuilt St Mirren. Celtic news, transfer analysis, and Scottish Premiership stats — every week on The Huddle Breakdown.

Hassan Breaks the Chart, Celtic Break the Press | Falkirk Review, Deadline Week & Aberdeen Preview

Andrew Ramsay — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 13:41:58 GMT

Celtic's win over Falkirk produced a completely standard-looking stat pack — plus-two in xG, a +300 packing score, more than double the box possessions, six saves to one — but James and Alan argue that almost nothing about the inputs behind that familiar output was normal. This week on The Huddle Breakdown: Hassan's first proper look at Celtic Park, where his ball-carrying projected to roughly 45 pack dribbles per 90 minutes, against a 12-year record season average of 15 — and yet ended with no shots, one chance created, 14 passes given away and 0.1 expected scoring contribution. The lads dig into whether Celtic's pressing identity has quietly evaporated since Brendan Rodgers left, why the Duran–Hassan–Hu selection puzzle may never cohere, what Callum McGregor's packing numbers against Falkirk reveal about his best remaining role, and why four summer signings have realistically solved only two starting problems. Plus a deadline-week trawl through the rumour mill — Nkunku, Sorensen, Van de Berg and the goalkeeper hunt — an argument about how intra-Premier League spending has detached the top of the market and left an €8m average fee everywhere else, and a preview of Stephen Robinson's big, direct, set-piece-hungry Aberdeen arriving at Celtic Park on Wednesday.

Celtic's LASK Collapse: Systemic Failure, Not Bad Luck | Extra Time

Andrew Ramsay — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 21:31:54 GMT

Celtic threw away a four-goal aggregate lead in Austria and crashed out of the Champions League to LASK — and on this week's Extra Time, Martin, Alan and James argue that luck had nothing to do with it. Alan makes the case that this is a pattern of boardroom incompetence stretching back years, with as much as £300 million in Champions League revenue left on the table, before breaking down the tactical collapse: a 4-4-2 that should have been a 4-5-1 mid-block, two pivots permanently ahead of the ball, goal kicks fired down the middle, substitutions that changed nothing, and a standard of conditioning he found astonishing. James explains why LASK's second-half press exposed a fragility Celtic have shown for 15 months, why the squad's depth compounded every other risk, and where Bauer fits into a fix. Plus: xG and packing data placing this among the worst Celtic performances of the last decade, the Manchester United–Hull comparison that explains the midfield, Hearts, Hibs, Motherwell and Rangers in Europe, the Europa League draw ranked by Elo and Opta power rankings, and a Falkirk preview.

* Due to copyright, sections of the video episode have been replaced with still images from the match. Apologies for any inconvenience.

Celtic vs LASK Second Leg: How Celtic Kill the Tie in Linz | Champions League Play-Off Preview

Andrew Ramsay — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 21:58:54 GMT

Celtic take a 3-0 lead to Linz — but how do they actually kill this tie? On this week's Huddle Breakdown, Alan and James break down the Champions League play-off second leg against LASK at the Raiffeisen Arena. Using average position charts, duel data and pressing heights from the first leg, they explain how LASK flood the middle of the pitch, why their wing-backs were neutralised at Celtic Park, and how their three main weapons — the long early ball, crosses and set pieces — could still cause chaos in Austria. Alan makes the case for a compact mid-block and a 4-4-2, James argues over Liam Scales vs Cameron Carter-Vickers and the risk of playing a high line, and both revisit the Astana and Hapoel Be'er Sheva horror shows as cautionary tales. Plus: the state of Celtic's transfer window before September 3rd, where the squad is still dangerously thin, and why Celtic fans should be quietly rooting for Rangers, Hearts and Hibs on Thursday.

Celtic 3-0 LASK: Three Worldies and One Big Warning | Extra Time

Andrew Ramsay — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 20:12:22 GMT

Celtic beat LASK 3-0 at Celtic Park to take a commanding lead into the Champions League play-off second leg in Linz — but what does the data actually say? On this Huddle Breakdown Extra Time, Martin, Alan and James dig into a 3-0 win built on three world-class finishes from just 0.89 xG, a lost packing battle, and a midfield that was repeatedly wide open in transition. Alan explains why Callum McGregor was packed 31 times — a figure he's only matched against Bayern, Dortmund, Real Madrid and Milan — while James lays out the "jailbreak" problem behind the scoreline and asks whether Mika Baur and McGregor can play together. Plus: Camilo Duran's double and whether he's really a right winger, Benjamin Nygren's vindication after a season of abuse, Kasper Høgh's role debate, Viljami Sinisalo's first big save, Colby Donovan's breakout, and why Haissem Hassan's eight minutes were the most exciting of the night. The guys also look ahead to the return leg at the Raiffeisen Arena, the latest Celtic transfer links, and how Rangers, Hearts, Hibs and Motherwell fared in Europe.