Reo Hatate prepares for the Rangers match by returning to Celtic for the title run-in as a bounce game tester

Hatate hasn’t performed when you consider that struggling a double calf damage while on Asian Cup duty with Japan in January.

Reo Hatate has stepped up his Celtic return for the title race run in with 45 minutes in a soar game.

The Japanese hasn’t played featured considering that the iciness ruin after suffering a double calf harm whilst away on Asian Cup obligation with Japan. In his absence, the champions noticed their lead at the pinnacle of the Premiership table evaporate as Rangers overtook them, however have considering regained pinnacle spot after beating St Johnstone at the weekend whilst Gers time out to Dundee was once a washout and will be played next month.

And Hatate could be again in business through then after playing forty five minutes in a scratch recreation in opposition to St Mirren at the Hoops’ Lennoxtown coaching base on Wednesday. Assuming he suffers no destructive reaction to enjoying in the 2-2 draw with the Buddies, then he could properly be in Brendan Rodgers’ squad for their return to home motion away to Livingston a week on Sunday.

Etienne Vaessen scouted: Has Celtic already discovered a Joe Hart replacement?

Celtic have reportedly made a ‘concrete offer’ to RKC Waalwijk goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen.

According to Dutch media outlet Brabants Dagblad, the club have made an early pass for the 28-year-old who is out of contract with relegation-threatened Waalwijk at the stop of this season.

With current range one Joe Hart retiring this summer, reinforcements in the goalkeeping branch will be high on the agenda for the Premiership Champions’ recruitment team now and in the coming weeks.

So, would Vaessen, who is also said to be attracting pastime from Eredivisie competitors PSV Eindhoven, match the invoice as a practicable Hart replacement? Here, using Wyscout data, we take a closer appear at the Dutch keeper to locate out more.

Of course, it is well worth noting that data by no means gives a full photograph when analysing a player, even more so for goalkeepers who have a good deal more limited records points compared to outfield players. Goalkeeper data is additionally more closely influenced via team overall performance than any different position.

There are nonetheless a few key metrics that can be used to evaluate goalkeeper overall performance and provide an insight into their profiles.

Shot-stopping

Firstly, and arguably most importantly, is shot-stopping. Essentially, how nicely is a goalkeeper performing when it comes to their crucial role, maintaining the ball out of the net?

As can be seen in the above scatterplot, Vaessen is a standout in this season’s Eredivisie in his regard. He has, understandably given Waalwijk’s struggles this season, faced one of the best possible volumes of xG in opposition to in the league (1.86 per 90). However, he has only conceded 1.52 desires per 90, giving him the absolute best avoided desires (0.33 per 90) of any goalkeeper in the Eredivisie. Prevented dreams truly being the anticipated desires in opposition to minus conceded goals.

His universal averted goals have been well worth a 7.81 wonderful intention swing for his side. His ability to overperform versus the predicted quantity of dreams he ‘should’ have conceded has certainly been pivotal to Waalwijk’s efforts to remain in the Eredivisie this season.

From a shot-stopping perspective, this is via a ways Vaessen’s strongest season. Last season his avoided goals was once 1, while in the 21/22 season, he used to be very slightly beneath what he would have been expected to save (-0.27).

Over his complete career, all of which he has spent with Waalwijk, Vaessen has a superb averted desires total, conceding on common 1.51 dreams per 90 from 1.56 anticipated conceded desires per 90.

For comparison, Hart has tended, generally, to concede around what he would have ‘expected’ to at some point of his time with Celtic. Although this has been on the decline domestically and Europe has been a particular difficulty – Hart posted the lowest Shot Stopping proportion of any keeper in the competition this season, in accordance to StatsBomb data.

Sweeper Actions

The subsequent vicinity where statistics can be used to provide in addition insight into Vaessen is sweeper actions. Here, the facts shows Vaessen to be greater of a sweeper-keeper. He has the third-highest exits per 90 (1.90) in the Eredivisie, nearly twice as plenty as Hart has averaged this season (1.07 per 90). Some of this could well be accounted for by way of fewer assaults heading toward Hart’s intention than to Vaessen’s.

For aerial duels, Vaessen comes in round common for the quantity he is worried in (0.38 per 90). However, as the under picture shows, he does now not rank too nicely against his positional friends for his win proportion (66.67 per cent).

At 6’2, Vaessen is no longer the biggest goalkeeper (Hart is 6’5) so dealing with crosses is perhaps no longer the strongest section of his game. It is well worth bearing in thinking here how small these volumes are, i.e. it would solely take one or two successes, or failures, to swing these considerably.

Distribution

Not something Hart has been overly cosy with all through his time in Glasgow, Rodgers has, predictably, endured to use the goalkeeper in build-up phases at some point of his 2d stint in the Celtic Park dugout. The following distribution scatterplot highlights some of Vaessen’s inclinations in this area.

Heavily influenced by way of crew style, Vaessen takes an even quantity of short/medium and long passes, indicating Waalwijk range their build-up play.

The above photo from Wyscout sheds some greater light, showing how profitable Vaessen is in his passing from open play across various distances.

Here we can see he has only misplaced one of 139 passes at 0-20m in the final year. His basic Short pass accuracy of 97.77 per cent is average, to barely above average, for a goalkeeper in the Eredivisie in the final 12 months.

The image additionally highlights that he isn’t quite as correct over longer distances. This is typically the case for any player but his 59.5 per cent skip accuracy is under average for a keeper in the Dutch top-flight over the final year.

Given that Celtic don’t tend to go direct too often, Hart has solely attempted an average of 3.24 long passes this season, this is doubtlessly not a massive issue, ought to Vaessen make a cross to Parkhead this summer.

Conclusion

Vaessen is an fascinating link. His performances in this season’s Eredivisie, particularly his shot-stopping, could be considered as some thing of a bit of an ‘overperformance’. Equally though, given his age, an argument ought to be made that this is down to him coming into his peak years – late 20s to 30 is often viewed top for goalkeepers.

He doubtlessly profiles as more of a sweeper-keeper, which would be fantastic given Celtic frequently holds a high line, domestically anyway. At 6’2, he possibly doesn’t have the traditional presence of a ‘big guy in goals’ so there may be some question marks over how he would potentially deal with the bodily aspect of Scottish football though.

His distribution numbers appear regular enough. However, right here it would stay to be seen how this scaled to a much greater possession-dominant Celtic team compared to a facet struggling in the Eredivisie that is averaging less of the ball than their opponents most weeks.

Going from dealing with an xG of nearly two per sport to round 0.67 (Celtic’s xG Against in the Scottish Premiership this season, Wyscout) would additionally be an adjustment for Vaessen. Out with European games, Celtic keepers may also frequently solely be required to make simply one, perhaps two, vital saves a game.

This special environment a Celtic goalkeeper finds themselves in, and some of the formerly noted obstacles of goalkeeper data, make coming to any definitive judgements here tricky.

However, what can be stated is that Vaessen is a peak-age goalkeeper performing persistently properly in a first-class league. Off the lower back of his strongest shot-stopping season and displaying signs of an capability to contribute correctly to the build-up and in sweeping, he would signify a promising candidate for subsequent season’s Celtic number-one jersey.

Reo Hatate on Celtic’s “slow burn” as supporters were forced to wait for the MOST important midfield player

The Hoops midfielder has suffered an harm hit campaign for Brendan Rodgers’ champions.

Peter Grant isn’t always sure Celtic fans will see the REAL Reo Hatate any time soon after a prolonged spell out.

Brendan Rodgers confirmed closing week that the big name midfielder has been out on the grass as he continues to work closer to full fitness. It’s been an harm plagued marketing campaign for the fans’ favorite with simply 13 appearances to his identify this term. The hope is he will re-join the squad following the global spoil and will teach with these not on responsibility in this period as the season enters the enterprise end.

A big showdown with Rangers is on the horizon before the league cut up and when the fixtures are launched as the top and bottom six find out their fate. Both derbies will prove massive in the destiny of the Scottish Premiership title this campaign. Hatate’s return will come as a large improve to Rodgers and the Parkhead faithful.

Fellow pundit and Ibrox legend Barry Ferguson also reckons Celtic will now not see the nice of Hatate until NEXT season and that his return will be a bit of a ‘slow burner’.

Grant informed Go Radio: “It offers you an opportunity to get people returned match [International break]. I think that is important. People discuss about Hatate however I just think he has simply been out too lengthy to come and have an impact.

“Barry will inform you. It does not count how good you are, how well you train or how many exercise fits you put on. You be aware of you can watch yourself in them except placing that depth in. It’s very, very difficult to be excessive no count what if it is a training in shape as you can walk off or do anything. The depth is completely different.

“For the length Celtic are going into, I’m no longer sure. He can be handy however is he going to be the Reo Hatate? I suppose it is not possible to be out that length of time to come straight lower back in and be that player. I thinking he was getting again to the structure he had from his remaining injury. The manager had left him on the bench [start of the season] and I think it was once the Kilmarnock sport was his first-rate sport and then receives injured. Sod’s law. That used to be him lower back at his best.

“I just assume it is very hard when you’ve got been out that duration of time. Guys who have been out a week or so, that is a bit simpler.”

Co-pundit Ferguson added: “I don’t suppose you will see the high-quality of Hatate till subsequent season. You can teach and run on the training ground as lots as you desire but nothing beats taking part in video games of soccer and getting 90 minutes into the legs. I think it will be a sluggish burner for him and he will comprehend that himself.

“You’ve obtained to be really, virtually careful. He’s a fantastic operator no doubt about it however I do not assume you will see him at his quality till next season.”