Just like that, it's back.
The Celtic Way Power Rankings returns for the first time this season with the break for the World Cup providing the ideal point to take stock, tally up our detailed man-by-man ratings from all 23 competitive fixtures and present them to you.
At the end of the last campaign, Cameron Carter-Vickers knocked previous leaders Jota and Kyogo Furuhashi aside to pip captain Callum McGregor to our inaugural TCW Player of the Season.
First, a wee explainer in case this is your first visit to the TCW power rankings (last season's entries can be found here, here, here and here).
Subscribers will already know that we produce detailed man-by-man match ratings for every game.
International breaks - or in this case a World Cup break - are the perfect time to collate those marks and put the results to you as well as use them to crown our TCW player of the season at the end of the campaign. This has always, it seems to us, been a more natural way to measure what has transpired game to game rather than simply plucking names out after the fact.
The threshold for inclusion on this occasion is 414 minutes of action in the first-team – that’s 20 per cent of all available competitive minutes and you’re in.
That cut-off means James Forrest (441 minutes) and Carl Starfelt (481) are both eligible but Oliver Abildgaard (204 ) doesn't make it, nor James McCarthy (84).
Benjamin Siegrist misses out too while Scott Bain, Yosuke Ideguchi and Scott Robertson (all zero) were never in the running to begin with.
It leaves us with 21 qualifying players which we will give you in reverse order. Like before, appearances not long enough to warrant a match rating of, for instance, more than a three or a four are removed from the tallies. Where two players have finished level in average rating, the tie-breaker gives the nod to the player who has played more often.
And away we go...
21. Liel Abada
Last season’s final ranking: 16th
A perennially divisive figure in these rankings, Abada is once again a lot lower than most would probably expect.
What his average rating here hints at, however, is merely that his inconsistency of performance doesn't often meet the eye test of his raw stats.
Indeed his standout run this campaign - the games against Dundee United, Ross County and Rangers which account for more than half his goals and exactly half of his assists - are currently the only times he has earned higher than a six for his display. On the flip side, he's earned a fair few fives.
That said this season, as last, his goal output means his campaign can only be considered a success so far despite his low placing here.
Rating: 6.1
Further reading: Has 'lethal' Liel Abada made unignorable Celtic starting case?
20. Daizen Maeda
Last season’s final ranking: 8th
Unlike Abada, Maeda doesn't tend to fade out of games to the extent he regularly earns fives. He just hasn't quite clicked yet this term and thus the standard six rating seems to be about his level.
His struggles in front of goal are well documented - if slightly exaggerated at times due to a couple of high-profile misses in the Champions League in particular.
But not only has he been his usual persistent presence while often switching flanks, he has actually racked up decent raw numbers too; he has four goals and four assists in 1,128 minutes (the equivalent of around 12 and a half matches).
As befits his reputation, he also leads the league in possession-adjusted pressures.
Rating: 6.1
Further reading: In defence of Celtic's Daizen Maeda
19. James Forrest
Last season’s final ranking: 18th
Another who, as with Abada, has hit a hot streak for a trio of games but otherwise been unable to generate consistent performance levels with his usually half-hour-long appearances.
It is nonetheless a much more popular Forrest who takes to the field now than last season, where he seemed to have become a bit of a whipping boy despite his noted injury worries.
His hat-trick against Hibs and goal-plus-assist display against Hearts showed that, while it may not ultimately be reflected in these rankings due to the nature of his squad role, his contribution will likely continue to be valuable regardless.
Rating: 6.3
Further reading: Celtic's 30 goalscoring centurions in full as James Forrest adds name to illustrious list
18. David Turnbull
Last season’s final ranking: 15th
After losing three months of the last campaign due to injury, Turnbull has also been sidelined already this term too.
Perhaps more impactful on his ability to garner a more impressive average rating is the emergence and increasing reliance on the Matt O'Riley-Reo Hatate axis in midfield.
Turnbull's actual performance level has been generally good when called upon. However, his lack of starts (seven, three in a row back in August but none back-to-back thereafter) as well as an ill-timed spell out after Callum McGregor's injury and O'Riley's move to the pivot could have opened up a significant starting run for him, has no doubt contributed to his position here.
Rating: 6.3
Further reading: Has David Turnbull improved enough?
17. Carl Starfelt
Last season’s final ranking: 9th
Speaking of injuries... Starfelt missed two full months of action after going off in the 4-0 derby thrashing at the start of September but makes the minutes cut thanks to his involvement in the final two pre-break matches (the latter of which, against Ross County, was ironically as a replacement for the injured Moritz Jenz).
The Swede began the season with goals in successive games after going the whole double-winning campaign last year without finding the net. The games against Ross County in Dingwall and Real Madrid in Spain aside, his ratings have been solid if unspectacular.
That said, his signing off for Sydney with an eight and a seven could mean he recovers his starting berth on the resumption and starts moving on up this list again as he did in the second half of last season.
Rating: 6.4
Further reading: Is Moritz Jenz a better option for Celtic than Carl Starfelt?
16. Aaron Mooy
Last season’s final ranking: N/A
Considered a somewhat underwhelming signing, Mooy remains a fairly schismatic presence.
On the one hand he has - in our records anyway - as many eight-rated matches as five-rated ones. On the other hand a player of his ilk can reasonably be said to be understated in almost everything the do and that can no doubt affect perception and, thus, match score.
Back on the eve of his signing, we posited that Mooy would replace nobody at Celtic... but also everyone.
That much seems to have been true. He has featured slightly more often at the eight than the six since arriving and put in both excellent and subpar performances in each.
Perhaps it's unsurprising, then, that his average rating so far comes out looking... pretty average. He edges out Starfelt here due to playing more often.
Rating: 6.4
Further reading: Don't sleep on Aaron Mooy's growing Celtic influence
15. Stephen Welsh
Last season’s final ranking: 17th
After falling by the wayside in the second part of last term, Welsh's luck seemed to be in when this season rolled around.
Carl Starfelt injured, Moritz Jenz just in the door. A good chance to stake his claim for a run in the starting XI appeared to be there for the taking for the academy graduate. He started in fine fashion, netting the first goal of the campaign against Aberdeen.
However, illness struck. Then injury. He has since spent considerable time out of the team except for a run of four games in September/October which, given it was ostensibly filling in for Cameron Carter-Vickers at right centre-back, was never likely to lead to a proper stint with the starting jersey.
He hasn't played since stepping in for an ill Jenz at St Johnstone on October 10 and, while his ratings in the games he has played have been adequate, it seems to be getting increasingly difficult for him to add the kind of run required to really move up further.
Rating: 6.5
Further reading: The curious case of Celtic's Stephen Welsh
14. Sead Haksabanovic
Last season’s final ranking: N/A
Let's get one thing straight here: if Haksabanovic continues in the same vein as his last few appearances since properly settling into the first team, he will crack the top 10 at the next update and then some.
After joining near the end of August, the Montenegrin took some time to bed in at Parkhead and didn't start getting significant time on the pitch until October.
He has progressed not only into a consistent presence in the starting XI in the recent run of fixtures but is emerging as an advanced-stats colossus as well.
On that note, keep your eyes peeled for our upcoming on-ball value (OBV) update. Haksabanovic has a starring role, as we're sure he will have in Celtic's treble tilt after the resumption.
Rating: 6.5
Further reading: Sead Haksabanovic is the Celtic 'extra dimension' they didn't see coming
13. Alexandro Bernabei
Last season’s final ranking: N/A
The club's first-ever Argentinian first-team player arrived amid much excitement given his profile as an attacking, livewire left-back.
He has, in the main, performed well when he's been given the chance. Problem is, he hasn't had much of one due to the excellence of the man ahead of him in the pecking order, Greg Taylor.
With dynamic tools at his disposal, the 22-year-old has it within his skillset to thrive at Celtic but, while his path to considerable first-team minutes remains blocked by the unwavering Taylor, he'll also have to be content with a middling place in these rankings.
Rating: 6.7
Further reading: The Alexandro Bernabei buzz is real and Celtic 6-1 Hibs showed why
12. Joe Hart
Last season’s final ranking: 5th
Hart's average rating has only dipped by 0.2 from the end of last term, when he finished fifth, but he finds himself comfortably outside the top 10 as a result and beats out Bernabei into 12th with significantly more minutes played.
He has, it must be said, been clocking up a fair amount of seven ratings in his 21 matches to date but they come amid growing question marks over his shot-stopping in big moments.
Outside of that, the intangibles continue to mount up in his favour with his dressing room presence and leadership still a massive plus for the squad. He may not have been entrusted with the captain's armband when McGregor went down injured but he remains a crucial part of the leadership group regardless.
Rating: 6.7
Further reading: Joe Hart, goalkeeping analysis and does Scottish football have a problem?
11. Josip Juranovic
Last season’s final ranking: 6th
Still Ange Postecoglou's first choice, Juranovic has played the bulk of the right-back minutes this season despite a topsy-turvy personal formbook.
Pre-season reports of transfer interest from the likes of Atletico Madrid did not seem to have turned his head when he began the campaign with a run of eight matches carrying an average rating of 7.4
Since then, however, he has found it much more difficult to stand out and his average rating across the second half of this opening run of fixtures has been closer to six.
Rating: 6.8
Further reading: Is Josip Juranovic is reaching a whole new level?
10. Giorgos Giakoumakis
Last season’s final ranking: 13th
Obviously, last season's ratings don't count for anything except a comparison here but it feels worth noting that Giakoumakis has improved in every iteration of these rankings.
He started off not qualifying for the first entry due to lack of minutes, just snuck into the top 20 in the second and wound up 13th having increased his average rating significantly by ensuring one goal in his first nine appearances gave way to 16 in his next 20. He cracks the top 10 this season.
Starts have not come easily for the Greek this term but he has still bagged eight goals in his 1,018 minutes (the equivalent of roughly 11 full 90s). Given he is underperforming his xG of 10.5 so far this season, it's likely both his stats and his rating continue to rise.
Rating: 6.9
Further reading: Celtic possess a laser-like mentality monster in Giorgos Giakoumakis
9. Moritz Jenz
Last season’s final ranking: N/A
It has, all things considered, been an admirable loan spell for the German centre-back with a plethora of seven-rated games garnering him an entry in the top 10. He edges Giakoumakis out having played more minutes than the Greek.
The games against St Mirren, Motherwell and RB Leipzig (away) brought his only true blip in form - outside of the Real Madrid game at the Bernabeu in which virtually every player struggled for pass marks.
The common denominator in those games, however? Carter-Vickers was absent. Read into that what you will.
Rating: 6.9
Further reading: Should Celtic sign Moritz Jenz permanently?
8. Kyogo Furuhashi
Last season’s final ranking: 4th
A goal or assist every 107 minutes; seven opening goals; outperforming his xG; second-top striker league-wide for possession-adjusted pressures... and this is Kyogo 'off it'?
The Japan international's average rating still sits around the 7.0 mark - as it did when he was in the podium positions in these rankings last season.
A potential rationale for the apparent dichotomy between perception of his form and reality? Maybe it's that he has simply had more competition from other Celtic players as time has gone on because, on the face of it, he's still producing consistently in output and performance.
Rating: 7.0
Further reading: How Kyogo Furuhashi’s movement masterclass caused carnage at Kilmarnock
7. Reo Hatate
Last season’s final ranking: 11th
An early front-runner for player of the season, Hatate overcame some late-season burnout in the double-winning campaign to enjoy a remarkable pre-season (indeed, he was crowned our Player of Pre-season as a result).
He kicked into gear virtually straight away once the competitive stuff started, enjoying a five-game stretch from the first Hearts match to the first Shakhtar Donetsk game where he averaged a superb 7.8 in our ratings.
He dropped off somewhat afterwards - though, like most, the St Mirren and Real Madrid away games are the only real blots on his record - but has recovered his scintillating form recently with an eight and a nine in his final three matches before the break.
Rating: 7.1
Further reading: How Reo Hatate's (almost) flawless Celtic tour de force kept Hoops top of league
6. Greg Taylor
Last season’s final ranking: 7th
Taylor's excellent season so far is reflected in his average rating but the fact he sits outside the top three still feels slightly wrong.
The Scotland international has continued his upward trajectory under Ange Postecoglou to the extent that he is now virtually universally liked where he was once a figure who took (an often unfair amount of) flak.
He has chipped in with big goals already while enhancing his understanding of the inverted full-back role even further and translating his domestic form into Europe in another slap down of the nay-sayers. His growing leadership qualities are now becoming apparent to all into the bargain.
The only player except Jota to have three nine-rated games this season, Taylor is, simply put, integral to Celtic.
Rating: 7.2
Further reading: The one 'huge but subtle' improvement behind Greg Taylor's rise
5. Callum McGregor
Last season’s final ranking: 2nd
On the subject of integral... it's the captain's turn.
McGregor may have missed the last 11 matches but his performances beforehand should not be overlooked in favour of recency bias.
The St Mirren match and the RB Leipzig game where he got injured after a significant portion of game-time mean his average rating is 'just' 7.3 (remember: 7.22 won these at season's end last year).
However, McGregor's start to the season was so rammed full of quality that his average rating across those other 10 games he played was 7.7.
Rating: 7.3
Further reading: How can Celtic solve their unsolvable Callum McGregor problem?
4. Matt O'Riley
Last season’s final ranking: 12th
You can almost split O'Riley's campaign into two parts: before McGregor's injury and after. He beats the captain into fourth having played more minutes.
An outstanding pre-season that was overshadowed only by Hatate's magnificence gave way to an eight-game opening stretch where he averaged exactly 8.0 in our ratings and grabbed himself five assists.
In the aftermath of McGregor's injury, it was to O'Riley Postecoglou turned to assume the integral responsibility of playing as the deepest midfielder.
The Dane had barely featured there before and to perform as he has done (averaging 7/10 in that role amid a run of 12 consecutive starts and showcasing his off-ball tenacity to a wider audience) is to his eternal credit.
Rating: 7.3
Further reading: The unheralded Matt O'Riley magic that underpins Postecoglou's Hoops vision
3. Anthony Ralston
Last season’s final ranking: 10th
Not even Taylor has revamped his image as much as Ralston in the past year-and-a-half or so since Postecoglou took over.
The Scotland international right-back may be the clear second-choice for the right-back role but that perception may well be changing given his performance levels in the 789 minutes of game-time he has been called upon for.
In that regard, he has barely put a foot wrong. The St Mirren game aside (of course) Ralston has been exemplary with more eight-rated matches under his belt than any other score.
Rating: 7.4
Further reading: Why Anthony Ralston has earned Celtic starter's jersey
2. Jota
Last season’s final ranking: 3rd
Beating out Ralston by virtue of minutes played is a virtuoso footballer who combines outstanding technical skill with a born entertainer's lust for applause and the raw output of a cold-blooded killer.
Last season it was pretty clear the Portuguese winger was the most talented player in Scottish football and this term he has set about making sure nobody forgets it.
He was the only player to end the last SPFL season with a 'double-double' of 10+ goals and assists and, with seven and five in those respective categories already, he seems a sure-fire bet to replicate that and then some this time.
Rating: 7.4
Further reading: Right or left? Answering Celtic's Jota paradox
1. Cameron Carter-Vickers
Last season’s final ranking: 1st
Or Cameron Carter-Vickers 8, to give him his full title. He has 11 of those already in our ratings this season, by the way.
The USA international is at the World Cup off the back of his Celtic form and, if possible, he has only got better since arriving permanently.
The notion that you only truly realise how important a player is when they're not available rings true with Carter-Vickers - witness for instance the ratings dive taken by not just his fellow centre-backs but the whole defence and keeper during his three-game absence in September/October (Greg Taylor was the only defensive player to earn a seven rating at all in that stretch, and he only did it once).
Assuming the captain's armband when McGregor was lost to injury is perhaps the biggest compliment anyone could've given him. Except for topping these rankings again, of course.
Rating: 7.6
Further reading: Why Cameron Carter-Vickers was Celtic's ace in the hole against Hearts
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