Celtic begin their UEFA Champions League campaign this week in the play-off round against Kazakhstan Premier League champions Kairat Almaty. The Hoops will be hoping to at least match their successful run in the competition last season, which saw them progress from the group stage to face Bayern Munich in...
Rondo and possession exercises are now staples in most modern football coaches' repertoires. They can, and should, be used throughout the season. However, they can be particularly useful to coaches during pre-season as a way to break down the components of a particular game model while providing enough intensity to...
As we have seen with many of Europe's top teams this season, attacking wingers can often be the difference-makers in close matches. With many teams defending deep, inside their own defensive third, and crowding out the central areas, having a player who can go by a full-back and take defenders...
Possession exercises are a well-used tool for coaches and are common in training sessions at all levels of the game. Increasingly, these exercises are now replicating real game scenarios rather than generic setups and rules designed primarily to work the technical elements of keeping possession. By adding the tactical element...
Rangers left Celtic Park with a 3-2 victory on Sunday despite ending the game with just 28% of the ball possession. This result was undoubtedly a feather in the cap of interim Rangers boss Barry Ferguson, who took over from ex-Gers manager Philippe Clement in late February. Both sides had...
The inverted full-back position is an ever-evolving position, and new ideas and tactics for best utilising these players are constantly being introduced. This tactical analysis will show some of the most common ways inverted full-backs are being used not just in the build-up but also to finish off attacks. Inverted full-backs can become...
This week marked the start of the UEFA Champions League’s highly anticipated Round of 32, with an emotional match at Celtic Park providing excellent entertainment. European nights at Celtic are always full of passion, with the electric atmosphere providing Brendan Rodgers’ side with the belief that they could potentially snatch...
This tactical analysis focuses on the movements of top-performing strikers in the moments before their final goalscoring action from various types of crosses. Instead of focusing on their involvement in build-up play, this tactical theory analyses how forwards can create space for themselves in front of the goal to attack...
Celtic have a tough decision to make. Celtic academy product Kieran Tierney is set to leave Arsenal this summer. His contract expires at the end of the season, and he’s been heavily linked to a move to The Bhoys. Many consider it an easy choice to bring him back after...
This tactical theory will analyse tactics used in the attacking phase by teams playing in a 4-3-3 formation. The tactical analysis will focus on both the individual techniques and movements used by players in Europe's top teams as well as how these forwards interact with their teammates. Current Premier League...
Rangers fans would have feared the worst. Having lost twice already to Celtic this season, the Teddy Bears have been miles off their rivals. Before this match, Rangers trailed Celtic by 14 points and had been poor over the Christmas period. Just 18 days after the last Old Firm, where...
One of the greatest Cup finals to have taken place in recent memory. Arguably, football’s greatest rivalry provided a spectacle for the footballing world in the Scottish League Cup final. The Old Firm faced off for the second time this season, and with a trophy on the line, tensions were...
This tactical theory will analyse different pressing structures and how they have led to teams creating goalscoring opportunities. These structures are designed to prevent teams from advancing up the pitch and demonstrate how to turn the opposition's possession into chances and goals for your team. This tactical analysis will include...
Shooting practice is clearly a vital component of a weekly or even daily training cycle and can be one of the more enjoyable topics to coach and participate in. Finishing exercises can vary drastically, from simple, individual-oriented shooting drills to more intricate ones incorporating combination play. Individual or small group...
On Bonfire Night, Celtic Park hosted a great game between Celtic and RB Leipzig. Leipzig were the favourites going into the game. However, Celtic won 3-1 against Bundesliga side Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League on Matchday Four. This win left Celtic with seven points from four games, keeping them...
No game is more decisive in British football than the Old Firm. The Glasgow Derby sees Scotland’s two biggest clubs, Celtic and Rangers, go head-to-head in their constant tug-of-war for domestic domination. Celtic have clearly been more successful over the past decade. Since 2012, Rangers have only managed to win...
This Sunday, Celtic Park will play host to the first Old Firm Derby of the 2024/25 campaign. Reigning Scottish champions Celtic will face off at home against bitter rivals Rangers four games into the Premiership season. Thus far, Brendan Rodgers’ side have got a flawless record in the league with...
The first Old Firm Derby of the 2023/24 campaign will take place tomorrow, with Rangers playing hosts to Celtic at Ibrox. The stage is set for an enticing encounter for Brendan Rodgers’ first major test since returning to Parkhead back in June, though his second Hoops tenure has been far...
Brendan Rodgers has officially been appointed as Celtic manager after parting ways with Leicester City back in April. Following a successful three years with the Scottish giants, Rodgers reunites with them, having won seven trophies and back-to-back domestic trebles. Replacing Ange Postecoglou will be no easy task, he leaves Celtic...
Leicester City's relegation from the Premier League in the 2022/23 season has left football fans scratching their heads. How did a team that won the league just a few years ago, and finished eighth in the previous season, fall so far so quickly? ‘Our objective this season is to get...
