IT’S that time again. The international break is upon us and that means one thing: The Celtic Way Power Rankings need updating.
Last time out Jota wrestled the top spot from Kyogo Furuhashi while Liel Abada’s modest 14th place belied his statistical output.
Celtic have played 27 matches since the last break, winning the League Cup in the process. They’ve also netted a few late winners, gone out of Europe and thrashed nearest title challengers Rangers 3-0. It is, as they say, all to play for in these rankings.
This is the penultimate update of the season – the next one will crown the site’s player of the season.
First, a wee explainer in case this is your first visit to the TCW power rankings (the previous entries can be found here and here).
Subscribers will already know that we produce detailed man-by-man match ratings for every game, so international breaks seem the perfect time to collate those marks and put the results to you.
The threshold for inclusion on this occasion is 468 minutes of action in the first-team – that’s 10 per cent of all available competitive minutes and you’re in.
READ MORE: Who are Celtic's most valuable players?
Previous updates have produced 20 entries – this was just a quirk of fate. This one includes slightly more (24 to be exact).
There are still a few who don’t make it though. Chief among them is Scott Bain, who despite being named in more matchday squads than any other player – 51 of Celtic’s 52 games – falls short of the 10 per cent requirement having played 419 minutes (if you’re interested, his average rating across his four appearances is 5.8).
Others to miss out due to lack of game-time or leaving on loan are Vasilis Barkas, Osaze Urhoghide, Dane Murray, Christopher Jullien, Boli Bolingoli, Liam Shaw, Ewan Henderson, Owen Moffat, Yosuke Ideguchi, Ben Doak, Joey Dawson, Adam Montgomery and Karamoko Dembele. Departed players who met the game-time requirements – such as Ryan Christie and Odsonne Edouard – are also not included.
Like before, appearances not long enough to warrant a match rating of, for instance, more than a two or three are removed from the tallies. Where two players have finished level in rating, the tie-breaker gives the nod to the player who has played more often. Keep that last rule in mind.
And away we go...
24. Mikey Johnston
Previous ranking: Unranked 🆕
Twelve appearances since the last update seal Johnston a spot in the rankings, albeit on the lowest rung.
The 22-year-old played 82 minutes of the League Cup final win and grabbed an assist in the 3-2 defeat of Real Betis during a run of game-time between early and mid-December.
That's since dried up, with another injury problem and the return of players such as James Forrest and Jota contributing to just three appearances totalling 92 minutes of action since the end of the winter break.
Average rating: 5.2 (out of 10)
23. Albian Ajeti
Previous ranking: 15th ⬇️
Lesser-spotted and hardly missed, the image of Ajeti donning the captain's armband during pre-season seems years ago now. The Swiss striker has three goals from seven shots on target in 617 minutes of action - problem is all three strikes came in September and he's only clocked 55 of those minutes since the last update. A predictable slide.
Rating: 5.7
22. Ismaila Soro
Previous ranking: 16th ⬇️
Another one whose drop was foreseeable. Soro has logged 83 minutes since part two of these rankings, 66 of which came via his starting berth in the heavily-rotated 3-2 win over Betis. He did come on in the dying stages of the resounding 3-0 win over Rangers though.
Rating: 5.9
21. Nir Bitton
Previous ranking: 18th ⬇️
Harsh one here for the Israeli as he is probably more an innocent victim of the new arrivals’ success as opposed to poor displays of his own. A sending-off against Dundee United aside, a return to his holding midfield position has been a net positive and a series of 7s and a few 8s on his formbook have increased his overall average rating even though his ranking has fallen.
Rating: 5.9
20. Liam Scales
Previous ranking: Unranked 🆕
Just 56 minutes of action before the last update meant Scales didn't make the cut. Since then he has enjoyed considerable game-time - 743 minutes to be precise. Two goals and two assists, as well as 4.28 interceptions per 90 minutes, see him crack the top 20 here.
Rating: 6.1
19. Liel Abada
Previous ranking: 14th ⬇️
Undoubtedly the spot which will cause the most consternation. Abada's output - and his underlying stats - have stood out. So why the low ranking? Assuming it's not simply that we don't know what we're talking about (ouch!) then it's likely explained by a dip in form between the second and third international breaks coupled with his upturn not occurring until a few weeks after the latter. That has proved difficult to counter-balance. The fact he has been rated a 4 or 5 pretty much as often as a 7 or 8 reinforces that.
Fourteen goals and nine assists in the minutes equivalent of around 35 matches is an impressive return at the best of times, but even more so for a recently-turned-20-year-old in a new country.
Like Bitton, his overall average rating has improved (by 0.1, but still) and while his fall feels disproportionate it's perhaps explainable by the form of newcomers to the list who have played well but, just as crucially, also played less often too.
Rating: 6.1
18. James Forrest
Previous ranking: 9th ⬇️
Quite a dramatic fall for the veteran winger, with his recent good showings ultimately not enough to counteract the slew of 6s and 5s he received throughout his December-February game-time.
Overall, four goals and four assists in the minutes equivalent of just less than 18 matches is... fine. He has made a difference with them though. It was Forrest who scored the goal that sent Celtic to the League Cup final, set up Giorgos Giakoumakis's winner at Tynecastle in January and found the net as they laid their Almondvale demons to rest too.
Ange Postecoglou has praised the 30-year-old - "I know he’s still got it" - and earmarked him as a potentially valuable contributor for the run-in. If so, a rise back up the rankings come season's end isn't off the cards. If he stays fit.
Rating: 6.2
17. James McCarthy
Previous ranking: 19th ⬆️
Probably the biggest beneficiary of the general ‘short cameos are wiped’ rule, the Ireland international moves up two spots despite his game-time not increasing in any meaningful way; the Alloa game in January was his last start, while the St Johnstone Boxing Day game was his last full match.
Rating: 6.3
16. Stephen Welsh
Previous ranking: 7th ⬇️
A steep plunge into the bottom half of the rankings for the youth product. Despite settling into the expected pre-season role of back-up, Welsh has still made 10 more starts since the last update. He has done well enough in general, with unspectacular 6s the order of the day while the Bodo/Glimt second leg was his only 5 rating in that timeframe.
Rating: 6.3
15. David Turnbull
Previous ranking: 10th ⬇️
A slight increase in average rating is not enough for Turnbull to keep hold of his top-10 spot. Hindered by a lengthy injury from which he has only just made his return, the Scotland international nonetheless played so much during the first block of the campaign that he is still just outside the top five outfielders for minutes. Nine goals and five assists are a solid tangible return while his set-piece taking has probably been appreciated more in his absence too.
Rating: 6.3
14. Daizen Maeda
Previous ranking: Unranked 🆕
With over 1,000 minutes, six goals and what seems like a million miles on the odometer behind him, Maeda has become something of a fan favourite since joining from Postecoglou's old side Yokohama F Marinos in January.
A virtual ever-present already - only two of his appearances have been from the bench, and those were sub outings against Rangers a day after returning from Japan duty and for a rotated side that took on Raith Rovers - the 24-year-old is shaping up, as TCW analyst Ross Goodwin detailed, to be a vital part of the run-in.
Rating: 6.4
13. Giorgos Giakoumakis
Previous ranking: 20th ⬆️
Last time out, Giakoumakis had failed to really hit the ground running and a missed penalty against Livingston lingered in the mind. His entry - he was ranked 20th with a 5.3 average rating - stated the following:
"His physicality and penchant for buying fouls have proved a useful tool in the Europa League, allowing Celtic to take the sting out of any late opposition momentum, but more will be expected of the Greek given his outstanding goal record in last season's Eredivisie."
In that regard, Giakoumakis's Celtic redemption has been swift and clinical; he now sits on 12 goals for the season, all one-touch finishes and all inside the box. If Celtic do go on to lift the league title, he will have been as crucial to it as anyone.
Rating: 6.4
12. Tom Rogic
Previous ranking: 13th ⬆️
A rise of one place for the Wizard of Oz who, despite producing some of the best football of his career at points this season, has interspersed those occasions with more than a few lacklustre showings. Case in point: he is one of only three players to receive a 9 more than once (the others are Kyogo and Giakoumakis) but has had more 4s or 5s (10) than 7s (six).
Rating: 6.4
11. Carl Starfelt
Previous ranking: 12th ⬆️
The perception of Starfelt's season had already begun to shift when the last update was published but it has accelerated rapidly since. Like Rogic, a one-spot progression is the order of the day here.
Much has been made - probably too much - of the Swede's passing stats but the real advancement has arguably been his steady upswing in aerial success, the development of his relationship with Cameron Carter-Vickers and his reduction in individual errors - especially with what TCW columnist Alan Morrison terms his 'optimistic' nature when defending.
Rating: 6.5
10. Matt O’Riley
Previous ranking: Unranked 🆕
An impressive start to life at Celtic propels January recruit O'Riley straight into the top 10. The 21-year-old only has two actual assists to his name In his 659 minutes of league action but his particular mix of off-ball work and on-ball creativity goes beyond that number.
He ranks second in both xG Assisted and key passes played per 90 minutes (behind Turnbull in both categories) while he is also second for possession-adjusted pressures and in the top 10 for pressure regains.
Rating: 6.7
9. Greg Taylor
Previous ranking: 11th ⬆️
Still much-maligned but a low-key invaluable contributor to the team, Taylor has risen two spots since the November update. His work ethic and adaptability were singled out early on by Postecoglou and that has borne fruit in the shape of arguably his outstanding displays of the season coming in two of Celtic's most important matches: the League Cup final against Hibernian and the 3-0 dismantling of Rangers. That the former was a mere couple of weeks after the 24-year-old returned from a troublesome three-month injury period went somewhat unheralded - but not here.
Rating: 6.7
8. Anthony Ralston
Previous ranking: 6th ⬇️
Ralston is a couple of places worse off in the rankings but not in average rating, which has stayed the same. That consistency - of production, effort and availability - saw him rewarded with a four-year deal earlier in the season and a Scotland call-up came in the November break too.
The 23-year-old's raw output (seven assists and five goals, including the 97th-minute winner against Ross County, above) accurately reflects his value to the Celtic team.
Indeed, his overall performance levels are reinforced by the underlying stats as he ranks highly league-wide in StatsBomb's cutting-edge 'on-ball value' metric.
Rating: 6.7
7. Reo Hatate
Previous ranking: Unranked 🆕
First earmarked by us as a good option for a post-Ryan Christie Celtic back in early September, even we were surprised with the start Hatate made to his Parkhead career.
A 9-rated, player-of-the-match display against Hibernian on his debut, a howitzer against Hearts the very next game and then playing chief tormentor of Rangers two games after that set a bar so high it's no surprise he catapulted himself to almost the top five of these rankings.
Things dipped from those dizzy heights for a few games as February turned to March but an excellent showing last time out against Ross County marked a return to form ahead of the run-in.
Rating: 6.8
6. Josip Juranovic
Previous ranking: 8th ⬆️
Juranovic's improvement and importance to the team has grown with the season. Never quite showing the best of himself when deployed at left-back, the Croatia international has come into his own on his natural flank despite the challenge of Ralston (who, interestingly, he essentially swaps places with in these rankings).
The 26-year-old has four goals and an assist to his name this season which, although unremarkable tallies, are acceptable when taken within the context of his constant positional switches. His crowning moment so far - Panenka penalty against Bayer Leverkusen aside - was undoubtedly his all-action, 9-rated performance in the 3-0 win over Rangers.
Rating: 6.8
5. Joe Hart
Previous ranking: 5th ↔️
Few new signings have made as sterling a contribution to the Celtic cause as Hart. A big reason Celtic are on a 31-match unbeaten domestic run is that they don't concede many goals and he is a huge reason why that's the case.
The 34-year-old's experience has lent a calmness and assuredness to the back of the pack after the tenuous tenures of Vasilis Barkas and Scott Bain. He can be left idle for long spells in games but his concentration levels rarely are - even though some fans would love him to not go walkabout quite as much.
In the 14 domestic matches since the resumption of football in January, Hart has kept nine clean sheets. He is a role model for others in the dressing-room and holds on to his lofty fifth position in the rankings here as a result.
Rating: 6.9
4. Kyogo Furuhashi
Previous ranking: 2nd ⬇️
The top-ranked player from the first edition of this list now finds himself down in fourth. Injury problems undoubtedly have a lot to do with that, but it is worth noting that those same injury problems - and, thus, absences - mean Kyogo's average rating is actually the same as it was.
We dubbed him Scottish football's leading man back in December - a contrary opinion to that at the time would surely have been an incorrect one given his League Cup final exploits - but, to the credit of his team-mates, they have reeled off so many wins and accomplished so much during his time on the sidelines that it's hardly surprising the Japan international has fallen back slightly, is it?
However, with a return from injury seemingly not too far away, there's every chance Kyogo returns to take centre stage once again before the curtains come down on this season. Watch this space.
Rating: 7.0
3. Callum McGregor
Previous ranking: 3rd ↔️
Consistency may well be the buzzword with McGregor but the excellence that his reliability brings with it has anchored this season in a way even the best analysts find difficult to quantify.
The captain possesses the intangibles, the minerals, the magic and, as of February 2, the mask for the job of leading this new Celtic era and goes about it in a typically understated manner.
Perhaps the best way to sum up McGregor's influence is this, by TCW columnist Kevin McKenna in his piece on the captain earlier in the season...
"My dad always said that Bobby Murdoch made you feel serene and a little less anxious. I feel the same when Callum McGregor runs out to play for Celtic."
Is there any better praise?
Rating: 7.0
2. Jota
Previous ranking: 1st ⬇️
Jota began his time in Paradise with 12 goal contributions in just 14 appearances. A spell out injured disrupted his rhythm somewhat but the 22-year-old is still at the forefront of matters when on the pitch.
Ten goals and 10 assists - what the basketball fans among you might call a double-double - is no mean feat and to have racked up those tallies in the minutes equivalent of 28 matches is even more impressive. To reinforce that perception, he also checks in as the second most valuable player in the league in terms of StatsBomb's OBV metric.
It's more than the numbers, though. In many ways Jota is a throwback to wingers of old; the ones who took it as a personal mission to ensure no bums ever felt the cold shock of plastic seating while they were on the ball.
That he allies that showmanship with genuine quality and a palpable will to win helps you understand why the clamour for his permanent signature has not dimmed.
Rating: 7.1
1. Cameron Carter-Vickers
Previous ranking: 4th ⬆️
Carter-Vickers might nick the top spot by virtue of minutes played but it's hardly grand larceny.
A colossus at the back and virtually ever-present since arriving on loan from Tottenham Hotspur on summer deadline day, the 24-year-old has simply excelled in the green and white.
After checking in at fourth place on the last list and eighth on the one before, the American's progression is easily traceable - as is his growing influence on the team.
He signed off for the last international break with three 8s and a 7 and immediately resumed with a 16-game stretch - up to the Bodo/Glimt first leg - which included eight 8s, seven 7s and a solitary 6 (the 0-0 stalemate against St Mirren). In fact, across the whole season Carter-Vickers has pulled in an 8 out of 10 rating more than he has any other score.
A worthy leader at the back and now a worthy leader of the TCW Power Rankings, Carter-Vickers could take some shifting over the final stretch of the season.
Rating: 7.1
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