Workload Imbalance and Squad Management Challenges

Thanks to @cjs80 on Twitter for stating the opinion that stimulated this piece.

I thought I better check that out.

In 2021/22 Ange Postecoglou was still shaping the squad and in essence finished the season with a core of 17 players to win the league and League Cup. He even “sacrificed” the Europa Conference League to ensure focus on the Champions League entry title win.

Was it better this season?

Squad Utilisation

Here are the completed 90 minutes worth and the percentage of time each player was on the field compared to the total 53 possible matches played.

Unsurprisingly, Joe Hart was the most used player as teams tend not to rotate goalkeepers and they tend not to be subbed off.

After that, perennial workhorse Callum McGregor is next, but he completed a mere 76% of available minutes – relatively slack from the captain!

Some players left and joined, and this has an impact. For example, it would make sense to add together Josip Juranovic’s and Alistair Johnston’s times. Similarly, Giorgos Giakoumakis and Oh Hyeon-gyu filled the same logical role.

Allowing for that, only 11 players played in 50% or more of the available minutes (one of those being our Juranovic/Johnston conglomerate).

There is then a drop off to 43% for Liel Abada and 41% for Mooy.

Essentially, 14 players played in more than 30% of the available minutes. Chris was spot on.

That is a small core.

Given 21 of the first team squad are Postecoglou signings and seven came through the Academy, it isn’t as if he was still dealing with other managers players.

Seventeen players appeared in the equivalent of 15 or less matches. Then add in the seven senior players (Vasilias Barkas has now departed) out on loan and that is 25 players playing a minor role in the first team squad.

As Chris say’s no wonder some looked puggled by seasons end.

If Celtic are to be competitive in four major competitions next season, there is going to have to be significant churn in clearing out unwanted players and getting in more who will better support those doing most of the heavy lifting.

Or you trust your squad players more.