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15/11/2022 | 01:10pm
Scottish champions Celtic proceed their march in the direction of the league title, with the Outdated Agency outfit having been in really relentless type throughout supervisor Ange Postecoglou’s time on the helm up to now.
The 57-year-old’s regime has confirmed notably profitable on the subject of the membership’s recruitment, with the Parkhead giants having introduced in an entire host of hidden gems and discount skills who’ve gone on to thrive in Glasgow.
That exceptional switch coverage beneath the one-time Australia head coach has been essential to the membership’s on-field success, with the Hoops maybe wishing that such astute market dealings had been commonplace earlier than the title-winning coach’s arrival.
One notable howler that occurred previous to Postecoglou’s tenure was the failure to snap up present Rangers talisman, James Tavernier, with the Bhoys having seemingly had the possibility to carry the Englishman to Scotland previous to his subsequent transfer to Ibrox.
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That’s in line with present Stevenage boss Steve Evans – who coached the 31-year-old in the course of the defender’s mortgage stint at Rotherham within the 2013/14 season – with the veteran supervisor revealing earlier this 12 months that he really helpful the full-back to these at Celtic Park.
Considerably frustratingly, the powers that be did not act on that advice because the Bradford-born machine – who was on the books at Newcastle United on the time – subsequently went on to affix Wigan Athletic in 2014, earlier than becoming a member of the Gers for a reported payment of simply £220k a 12 months later.
That determine has confirmed one thing of a snip so far as the participant’s present facet are involved, with Tavernier having emerged as a real main asset for the Scottish Premiership outfit over the previous seven years, proving a really deadly presence in an attacking sense, specifically.
The forward-thinking right-back has been merely “unstoppable” at instances – within the phrases of former boss Steven Gerrard – having racked up 91 targets and 112 assists in 373 video games for the membership up to now, with {that a} really staggering haul for a participant in his place.
These “scary numbers” – as described by pundit Kenny Miller – included a tally of 35 purpose involvements in all competitions final time period as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s facet reached the Europa League closing, with that haul higher than any Celtic participant achieved within the 2021/22 marketing campaign.
Equally, regardless of the Ibrox facet’s notable struggles this time round – having slipped 9 factors behind within the title race and endured the worst group stage efficiency in Champions League historical past – the £30k-per-week ace has nonetheless been one thing of a shining mild, with eight targets and 5 assists already up to now.
Who is that this former Celtic participant?
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That report is little question higher than that of fellow full-back, Josip Juranovic, as an example, with the Croatian star having solely registered six targets and three assists in complete since making the £2.5m swap to Paradise in the summertime of 2021, together with solely two purpose involvements this season.
As a lot as it could ache supporters to confess, Tavernier may nicely have thrived in Postecoglou’s attacking system had he been snapped up all these years in the past, with the Hoops probably regretting their choice to not transfer for a participant who has gone on to blossom on the opposite facet of town.