Last season, Ryan Kent, the Ibrox poster-boy, in one of his better years at the club, got 11 assists in the SPFL. It is worth pointing that out, for a little context, before we start. He played 24 times and created a goal every second game.
Good job he was creating them, because he only scored two.
That means that Kent was involved in 13 goals in the league for them.
Already this season, after a mere two matches, Jota has a goal and three assists.
He’s almost halfway to Kent’s last season total in 180 minutes.
Those who wonder if we might be losing our minds a little bit in relation to how well he is playing should be forced to consider that statistic. No matter what gibbering nonsense they might talk, those are hard facts.
Kris Boyd had to do some fast thinking today when he expressly denied that Jota is the best player in the league. Unfortunately, Boyd isn’t even good at slow thinking.
He blurted out his dismissal reflexively, because he hates Celtic.
When asked who he thinks is he stammered, stuttered, and then when he put forward Morelos made it clear how little interest he had in defending that proposition, because he flat out knows that he can’t.
Celtic fans and others, then, stand accused of going into overdrive with the hype.
But how can the cold recitation of facts be hype?
To say that Jota is, after two games, halfway to Kent’s total for the whole of last season in the league in both goals and assists is nothing but true. He could have those numbers beat by the end of the month.
Their fans will point out that you get no prizes for what players do … but if they stop to think about it for even half a second the penny will drop. Jota has had a hand in four out of our five goals so far. Which means that he is potentially responsible for putting six points on the board. Now, that you do win prizes for.
Jota is a match-winner. It is crystal clear. The numbers don’t lie.
And whilst I’m sure if it wasn’t him laying them on and sticking them away that someone else in the team would be doing it – Abada, for example, who’s already a goal to the good – the Portuguese is proving, already, to be worth every penny of that £6 million spend.
His critics – and there aren’t many left and every week their number gets fewer – may argue the semantics but the figures will stand up at the end of the season, for good or for ill, whether they like it or not.
He’s well on his way to a lot of awards.
Thanks to those who pointed out that it was O’Riley, not Jota, who assisted with our opening goal of the campaign. You guys keep me honest! The points in the article still stand up, but the piece has been amended slightly to reflect them. For all the talk about other players, and there’s been plenty, including on this site, this guy has started like a train. Amazing.
I did say Jota in the this season’s player to watch article. It’s only two games in and I think his impact on our games will only get better. You saw his hunger once the 2nd half kicked off yesterday. That look of “there’s work to be done”.
I am so looking forward to the huns game at the start of September. I pray to God that he, above all others, is fit as I reckon he’ll tear them a new arsehole.
Was it not O’Riley who assisted for opening goal vs Aberdeen?
3 assists. Maybe confusing O’Riley’s corner for the Welsh goal against Aberdeen?
He’s got one goal and three assists (not four), but who’s counting? The kid is by far the most talented player in the squad and it’s only a matter of time before he ends up at one of the mega-clubs somewhere in Europe. Portugal has an embarrassment of riches on their attacking line, but Jota has a decent chance of making their World Cup squad if he continues to play like he has. Looking forward to see what he can do in the Champions League. I suspect that may be his coming-out party for the rest of the world who don’t take the SPFL seriously.
Matt O’Riley took the corner for Welsh’s goal against Aberdeen not Jota. That puts his goal involvement at 4 out of 5 which is still magic!
Jota is the most talented player Celtic have had since Henrik Larsson and the world is his oyster,
Ange is building a Champion Team first and foremost.
Kyogo must stop his knee slides. The medical staff will tell him there are four knee medial ligaments that can be damaged. If he won’t change, he should check the condition of the grass and pitch first.
I’m with you, I don’t know why any player risks it. Seen too many over the years dig in to the ground trying it.
You can use stats to tell any story you want. I don’t think kent is up to much over a season, but he could be a good player without having much in the way of goals and assists. Kent is actually decent at getting up the field and getting past players. Our McGregor (diff position) even if playing a bit further forward (brown years) probably didn’t have high goals/assists but still always POTY contender.
Not that I’m saying Kent is. Just that comparing those stats only tells the story you want to tell