All Action Man
The opinion passed that a returning player is “like a new signing” is worn to the point of parody. But the emergence of Christie as a number 8 box to box midfielder is shaping up as this season’s revelation.
Previously deployed as an attacking midfielder or even “false 9” on occasions, Christie has spent a season and a half on loan at Aberdeen and seemed a long way from the Celtic starting XI. But injury has given him a chance he has taken with relish.
Here are 5 ways the data highlights the Christie renaissance / evolution / thingy.
Man of Steel
Christie now leads the squad in tackles won outright (challenge won and possession goes to Celtic). He is winning 3.10 per 90m. The only other player over 2 is Brown (2.69). Furthermore, he wins 2.71 tackles where possession is lost. The next highest is Tierney on 1.47.
No other player comes close to his 5.81 tackles won per 90m. When Christie first played for Celtic, in his first 567 minutes in 2015/16 and 2016/17 he won 32 challenges and lost 60 for a miserable Defensive Action Success Rate % of 35%. This season his DASR% is 57%. Better than most Celtic central midfielders of recent years (Brown’s is 62%).
The year by the North Sea in Aberdeen plus the extra kilos apparently added in muscle have toughened him up.
In the RB Leipzig match, he won 22 challenges (tackles, aerial challenges and interceptions). I cannot find another individual total that high in all my data. He won as many challenges as he made completed passes.
If that wasn’t enough, he blocked 3 shots against the Germans and is averaging 0.77 blocked shots per 90m. His nearest challenger? Benkovic on 0.53.
Pest
Christie has, on occasion, show a tendency to go to ground a little theatrically. However, he certainly attracts attention. His all action style has seen him fouled 2.07 times per 90m.
Only Brown (2.25) and Forrest (2.09) are fouled more often.
Not only that, he is now leading the team in committing 1.94 fouls per 90m ahead of that other well know pest (clumsy six foot plus Aussie) Rogic (1.93).
Goal Threat
So, non-stop hard man, perfect for central midfield. But what’s this? Our old pal Expected Goals.
Outside of the strikers, Christie has the highest xG of the rest of the squad. He is averaging 0.431 xG per 90m. This is higher than Sinclair and Griffiths. Only Dembele’s and Edouard’s is higher.
Who was the last iron man goal threat who wasn’t really a striker?
Silky Skills
So, hard man, serial fouler and goal threat. Surely he cannot create as well?
Expected Assists measures the quality of the chances provided to team mates by taking the xG of the shot created.
There are three players with an xA over 0.3 per 90m.
Forrest is having a great season and is creating 0.304 xA per 90m.
Griffiths takes corners and this inflates his xA rate to 0.384 per 90m.
But squad number 1, by miles? Christie with an xA rate of 0.554 per 90m. Sure, small sample (7.74 matches) but quite a significantly higher rate than the rest of the squad.
What that also means is that if you combine the ability to make and get on the end of chances (Expected Scoring Contribution or xSC) then the squad LEADER is Christie with 0.986 expected goals and assists per 90m.
I’ve never seen this metric leader not be a striker. And this is Christie playing a deeper role.
Complete “Pack”age
Packing measures ability to take and receive forward passes and dribbles that by pass opponents i.e. take them out the game.
The pack king remains Ntcham and this is shown in his the overall Impect score (total score measuring all passes given, received and dribbles completed) of 83.12 per 90m.
No one really comes close to this. But in second place? Yep, him again. Christie’s per 90m Impect score is 67.79, leaving Tierney, Edouard and Dembele trailing in his wake.
This is an excellent measure of all-round midfield play.
I’m too excited by these numbers and I have to caution that 7.74 matches of data remain a small sample. But for him to lead so many key categories is extraordinary.
Over to you Ryan, Celtic’s green and white blur.