Scottish Premiership tops Europe for heading data, what it means for Celtic

Scottish football is not like most European leagues, of that there is no doubt.

But Celtic fans will be interested to see new data from BBC Scotland, comparing the Scottish Premiership to other major European Leagues.

The data is focused on heading – namely, aerial duels and headed clearances. Debates have come from many angles about the role of heading in the modern game, most notably from the perspective of player welfare.

And anyone concerned about the amount of heading still prominent in the modern game might want to start by focusing on Scotland…

The duality of Dane Murray…

Celtic’s role in new SPFL heading data

In terms of aerial duels, the Premier League has been shown to consist of almost 50% less than Scotland’s total of 42.5 per match.

It is a total 71% a higher than Ligue 1’s average of 28.5,

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Headed clearances tell a similar story, with Scotland also ranking higher than Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Czechia in the same metrics.

So what do the numbers have to do with Celtic, with the Hoops having won the Premiership title in all but one of them?

The answer is largely evident this season, where the Hoops have ranked well below Hearts and Rangers for set-piece goals.

Despite this, Celtic average exactly 100 less passes per game this season than they did last season. Given that most of these games have been under Martin O’Neill, the difference in approach is clear.

In a season of different approaches proving more successful for Scottish Premiership sides, Celtic have found it more difficult to adapt.

Motherwell have, comparatively, found a better blend in their approach, averaging 60% possession per game but conceding just 18 goals in 28 games.

As Scottish football leans increasingly towards chaos, Celtic are struggling for control.

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Celtic’s individual players’ aerial numbers

Liam Scales has nearly been ever-present for Celtic this season, winning 4.5 aerial duels per game, winning 63% in total.

Auston Trusty’s numbers highlight a less aggressive approach, with 3.4 won per game, a lower number than Scales, but a higher success rate of 68%.

It would be remiss not to mention that Dane Murray’s aerial numbers in last weekend’s win over Rangers were extraordinary. His total of 17 aerial duels won was the highest-ever on record for a Celtic player.

If he can keep that up, the direction of travel could be suitable for the 22-year-old defender.

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