The number trackers at InStat have made a few changes to their Scottish Premiership performance rankings, but resurgent Celtic player Anthony Ralston remains top of the chart.
The CIES and Instat Performance Index measures contributions by footballers, and creates rankings for scouts and coaches including Rafa Benitez and Carlo Ancelotti [InStat]. Defensive actions, including tackles and interceptions, successful passes, goals, shots, assists – they’re all combined to create rankings in individual leagues, and across continents.
When we last looked at the rankings, it was Ralston and Cameron Carter-Vickers vying it out at the top spot. Now, of the entire Scottish Premiership, it’s Anthony Ralston, Jota and CCV battling for first place. Celtic have all of the top 3 locked up, with James Tavernier the next best-performing non-Celtic player.
It’s impressive stuff. Though Anthony Ralston has generally played second-fiddle to Josip Juranovic, his numbers are still top of the charts; he’s still managed to score and assist in 2022, proving the first-half of the season was no fluke.
Jota, meanwhile, has had some injury concerns, but he’s still been outstanding for the Hoops. Overall this season, he’s got 10 goals and 9 assists – put another way, 19 goal contributions in 31 games. It’s dazzling form from the Benfica loanee.
Carter-Vickers, meanwhile, is well-known quantity. Somewhat underrated in the first few months of his time at Celtic, the USA international rightfully keeps his top 3 place. He’s looked utterly imperious at the back, winning his headers and instinctively cutting out danger.
Scouting index tells us what we already know about Celtic player performances, but there are some key questions
Is it any surprise to know that Ralston, Carter-Vickers and Jota are especially valued, statistically speaking?
Probably not. There are, though, some surprises. Callum McGregor, undoubtedly one of our most important players, if not the most crucial, sits 14th. Carl Starfelt, despite being in a far more impressive defence than Connor Goldson, sits behind the Rangers defender.
Kyogo, undoubtedly the big story in Scottish football in the first half of 21-22, is 31st, with another star man in Joe Hart sitting even further down the ranking, at 33rd. Perhaps this doesn’t matter, but it’s surprising nonetheless.
It is a concern, though, that of the league’s top 3 performers, two are loanees. Obviously, Celtic have those now infamous buy-out clauses, but Ange Postecoglou has made light work of shutting down speculation.
What’s impossible to argue though, is the impact that both Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers have individually made to the collective at Celtic. Whatever happens, this is the loan system being used at peak performance. Jota wasn’t getting a look-in at Benfica, but Celtic needed a left-winger with a bag of tricks.
Then, Celtic needed a robust, yet ball-playing centre-back who could help eradicate the aerial problems the Hoops were having. There’s Cameron Carter-Vickers.
No doubt, both have set scouts a-twitching. Add in this kind of thing, with numerical values and scouting indexes, and that only amplifies it.
That’s for us to worry about in the future, though. For now, there’s a title chase on.
And objectively speaking – according to this anyway – Celtic have the better-equipped players for the task.
Read more: Celtic Academy share fantastic goal v Man City; Postecoglou approach working beyond first team
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