The Huddle Breakdown is a podcast focusing on all things Celtic FC. This is not your regular fan-run podcast though, we combine analysis with statistics to provide a proper deep-dive into the performances of the team. If stats and xG aren't your thing, don't let that scare you off. This podcast is a mix of opinion, craic and some questionable takeaways as well.
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Celtic Finally Win in Europe! Besiktas 3-2 Breakdown, Baur’s Problem & the Goalkeeper Mess
Celtic finally get off the mark in the Europa League with a chaotic 3-2 win over Besiktas, and on The Huddle Breakdown Extra Time, Martin, James and Alan break it all down. Was Martin O’Neill’s controversial lineup a planned rope-a-dope: stay compact in a 4-4-2 mid-block for an hour, then let Osman and Duran’s pace loose on a tired Besiktas? The guys use StatsBomb shot maps and heat maps to show why teams keep attacking Celtic’s right side. They look at how Mika Bauer’s left-sided game differs from Arne Engels’, and why James thinks it’s time to give Bauer the keys in place of Callum McGregor. They also ask what kind of midfielder Celtic really need in the January transfer window and whether the Johnstone-for-Sinisalo goalkeeper switch makes any sense, and they share their verdicts on Lotomba, Kieran Tierney, Carter-Vickers and Hugh. Alan’s Speedboat League (the xG table) shows Kilmarnock are better than bottom of the Scottish Premiership suggests, ahead of Sunday’s match at Celtic Park against Neil McCann’s side. Plus Poetry Corner and a first look at that pitch in Portugal. Hail Hail! Want to support the channel? - https://huddlebreakdown.com Like this video and want more content like it? Subscribe to the channel below and hit the bell to get notified every time a new video goes live. Follow us on Twitter: @huddlebreakdown @Alan_Morrison67 @jucojames
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4 Nov 2026
Why Celtic Lost at Falkirk (It Wasn’t Bad Luck) | Bain’s 10 Saves, O’Neill & Besiktas Preview
Falkirk 2-0 Celtic, and the xG debate has exploded. On this week’s Huddle Breakdown, James and Alan dig into the Celtic FC data to explain why the Hoops’ big xG total at the Falkirk Stadium doesn’t tell the real story. They cover game state, post-shot xG, and how John McGlynn’s Falkirk earned their two-goal lead before sitting deep to protect it, helped by 10 saves from man of the match Scott Bain. They also get into Celtic’s exposed right-hand side, the decision to bring Cameron Carter-Vickers back on the artificial pitch, Bauer’s heat map, the half-time switch to James Forrest, Kieran Tierney’s clearances, Falkirk’s long throws, and the Luke McCowan subs. Finally, they look ahead to Martin O’Neill’s Celtic hosting Besiktas in the Europa League. The visitors have just sacked their coach, they rank among Europe’s most intense pressing sides, and the one thing that matters for Celtic is to stop the bleeding. Want to support the channel? - https://huddlebreakdown.com Like this video and want more content like it? Subscribe to the channel below and hit the bell to get notified every time a new video goes live. Follow us on Twitter: @huddlebreakdown @Alan_Morrison67 @jucojames
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31 Oct 2026
Is Celtic’s Structure Exposing McGregor? Dundee United Review + Falkirk Preview
Celtic dropped points at home to Dundee United, and Callum McGregor and Cameron Carter-Vickers have both suggested the team isn’t organised enough. On this week’s Huddle Breakdown Extra Time, James and Alan use the data to test that claim. The opposition is getting about 15 shots a game against Celtic and more than double the touches in the Celtic box of the 2019/20 side. xG conceded has gone up from around 1.0 a game to 1.5. One stat suggests McGregor’s struggles are about the team’s structure rather than his age: he’s being taken out of the game by opposition passes twice as often as before. They also look at how Celtic’s front players and midfield pairings fit together (Duran and Hogh, McGregor and Bauer), including a 4-4-1-1 idea. They give credit to two young players: Dane Murray, who is on his first run of consecutive starts, and Colby Donovan, who has just signed a five-year deal and stands up well against Kieran Tierney at the same age. There’s a round-up of the SPFL after Hearts 2-2 Rangers, and the projections still have Celtic winning the Scottish Premiership by around six points. Finally, they preview Falkirk: John McGlynn’s high line and pressing, a run of good luck (four own goals in their favour) and bad set-piece defending that Celtic could take advantage of. Want to support the channel? - https://huddlebreakdown.com Like this video and want more content like it? Subscribe to the channel below and hit the bell to get notified every time a new video goes live. Follow us on Twitter: @huddlebreakdown @Alan_Morrison67 @jucojames
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Who has been a guest on The Huddle Breakdown
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Jonathan Wilson
Kyogo
Sir David Spiegelhalter
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
1,729,693
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
4.8 / 5
161 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 54 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
35
Social presence
0
YouTube
86
Engagement
96
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Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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