Amidst the tortuously slow squad-building process, a bright light has been the early season performances of Nicolas Kuhn.
To expand: the standout outing against Manchester City in preseason could easily have been an atypical “flash in the pan” winger performance.
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He followed that up with promising outings in the opening home and away league matches in the SPFL.
That’s the beginning of a pattern! Which as you know, we are very fond of here in Numbers Towers.
Box Fox
Kuhn so far is averaging 11.88 touches in the opposition box per 90 minutes.
Only one player has averaged over eight whilst playing more than 900 minutes in a season. That was, oh!, Kuhn last season with 8.28. Before that, the highest over a full season was Liel Abada with 7.41 in 2022-23.
A penalty box winger, and one with a propensity for goals, is needed in this system where Kyogo Furuhashi is mainly a finisher of chances, and the other wing is manned by a more traditional wide player.
Think Scott Sinclair for Brendan Rodgers and Abada for Ange Postecoglou in that role.
Goal Threat
He has two goals already.
One: a kind deflected effort against Kilmarnock.
Two: the culmination of a fast break against Hibernian with a classic Kyogo-esque back post tap-in.
He is averaging 6.88 shots per game. Only Leigh Griffiths during his 40-goal season in 2015-16 averaged over six with 6.16 in that campaign for Ronny Deila.
The good part is 4.38 of them are from inside the opposition box.
This results in an xG of 1.26 which I know is not sustainable but is an eye-catching start.
He is getting into promising positions – 1.88 big chances per game.
Creativity
Less prolific has been his chance creation. He is averaging 1.25 chances created per game but this is resulting in a paltry xA of 0.08.
1.25 passes into the danger zone suggests he hasn’t yet had the rewards although he has not completed a successful cross.
Like Luis Palma, his deeper passing is more intriguing. He is averaging 33.13 pack passing score, taking out 13.75 players per match. That is relatively high for a wide player. Sead Haksabanovic (a thwarted ten forced wide) averaged 43.16 in 2022-23 and Jota’s best was 30.16.
Summary
Let’s not get carried away, of course. Two matches in is not the basis of deeply held opinions. Or shouldn’t be.
Greater creativity is needed. Also, his long meandering runs across the penalty box need to be less travelogue and more incisive.
Given the slow start to his Celtic career due to injury, it is encouraging how he’s started after his first full pre-season in such an explosive way regarding goal threat.
Could Kuhn be the second striker the side needs? Does his deep creative passing add that extra creativity to the side?
Tantalising glimpses so far and to be continued.
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