Matt O'Riley

He got caught out a lot positionally tonight but put in a power of work and won the ball back more than anyone else up the pitch. A good experience for him.

Him and Rogic should never start together in big games though, no pace at all.

 

He tried too hard at times to win it back O think, that’s inexperience so I don’t mind it too much. He got drawn in to allow space in behind when he went to press players that he wasn’t going to get close enough to win it.

I think because he did win it 3/4 times early on until they started doing it more successfully it made him keep doing it more because he knew he was good enough to win it high up the pitch when he got close enough.

Seen him getting frustrated rather than his usual calmness, tried to press when he should have covered, tried the killer ball that he knew was a hollywood ball because he know’s he can pull it off. And when it wasn’t working, he tried harder to prove himself. Another that I like showing the responsibility to do it, but needs told how to calm it at times. Jota was the same.

 

Thought he could have provided better support to Taylor for the 2nd. Was right there, and didn’t close down the inside. Think that’s why Taylor didn’t show the winger down the line because he thought O’Riley was going to stop the winger coming inside. O’Riley switched off for a split second and they were in.

Hatate has done a great job defensively with Taylor and I think missing Hatate’s defence was part of the problem down the left last night.

 

Hatate is an interception expert, apparently. Exactly the type of defensive skill we need against teams who play at pace. I know Ange probably wanted Hatate to only play the game in Norway, but that ended up backfiring.

 

Hello all. As a fan of Matt's first club, I'd merely been tracking his reception. But then I saw the above and I felt I had to register to point out that Fulham FC were Europa League finalists in 2010, which is seven years more recently than....

No laughter either way, eh?

As for your latest Euro experience -- good experience for Matt, the subject of this thread, but a new one so no disgrace if a tall order.

I saw Matt just twice for Fulham, was impressed, but could see the problem. He had too much in common with our longest-serving player and captain, Tom Cairney. The future would lie with the guy a decade younger with a higher eventual ceiling maybe, but hard to start them meanwhile in the same team.
Matt clearly saw that too. His brave decision to spurn the cash made him somebody worth keeping track of.

Not thinking beyond England, I foresaw a decent Championship career for Matt, with chances of middling EPL. I believe Fulham imagined that too if he bided his time. Signing for Celtic fits neither scenario in size of club, clearly, but actual football-wise? Open and genuine question. You'll know more.

 

Just to remind, the decision was Matt's, who was a 19 y/o offered a good contract, but playing ahead of him was a guy who'd just for the second time captained the club to promotion to the EPL. (Was injured most of the next season, which was not foreseeable by Matt, and now is seemingly leading Fulham to promotion again. So those are credentials to weigh up against his irrelevance internationally.)

Is there going to be Rogic-Matt parallel issue this/next season at Celtic, only this time the incumbent has a tested professional to contend with, not an untried youth?

 

Yes, the successful (for the club) captain could have been dropped in favour of the promising youth. With eye to the future that may well have been better, but meanwhile there's another Cairney led promotion in sight.

Time will tell how Matt's career stacks up relative to Cairney's (or Stef Joahansen who also helped Fulham to promotion). I do suspect he has a higher ceiling than those two, but whereas some of the opposition he'll face with Celtic will put that to the test, some won't.

 

A fantastic prospect at the very start of his time here.

Huge fan.

 

MATT O’RILEY looked round the dressing room, and knew in an instant Celtic weren’t done for in Europe.

Then he walked up to the main stand and started planning to take on the world.




Waiting were Danish Under-21 coach Jesper Sorensen and No 2 Morten Wieghorst, who had come to make the London-born son of a Danish mum an offer they hope he can’t refuse.

And as he stood there, still in his mud-and-sweat-stained kit, you got the feeling their journey hadn’t been wasted.

O’Riley, 21, who’s slotted seamlessly into the Hoops midfield after signing from MK Dons last month, said: “If Denmark called me up now I would be very honoured indeed.

“It’s a World Cup year and that’s definitely an aim in the back of my head, I’ll be honest.




Some people would say it’s a long shot, but at the same time I’m playing for Celtic, and hopefully next season we’ll be in the Champions League.

“That would also get me recognition to help get me on to the international stage.



“I’m going to take it game-by-game and see what happens.



I’ve already spoken to the coach on the phone — he’s a nice guy and I’ll be speaking with them again to see what the plan is. They have a very strong side.

“Denmark showed that at the Euros and in the World Cup qualifiers. But I can only take it game-by-game here and hopefully the rest takes care of itself.

“I’m half-Danish, as my mum’s from Denmark and I like the country. I can speak a decent amount of the language, and can understand it pretty well.

“I’ve been over a few times to see family I’m close with.


They are from just outside Copenhagen, which is a really nice place. I’ve spent a lot of time there in the summer and really enjoy it


My mum’s dad is Norwegian so I could play for Norway too — as well as England — but I wouldn’t say that I feel Norwegian very much.”

Celtic might not be done for in the Conference League, but this kid’s well up for being a Dane.

It’s yet another big decision for O’Riley to be making at such a young age



He’s already proved he isn’t scared of stepping into the unknown, though. And so far, it’s working out pretty well.

O’Riley added: “As people know, I took a step back to take a step forward when I left Fulham and went to MK Dons.

“So although it might have looked like a big jump when I came to Celtic, I felt like I was ready. I’ve always felt like I can play at a higher level, which hopefully with Celtic will mean the Champions League — that’s the aim.

“So no, I’m not surprised in my own performances, or how I’ve fitted in.


I could have done better last Thursday night, but although there’s always stuff to improve on, I don’t think I was awful.

“The good thing is I’ve had quite a lot of experiences at a young age.




When I made my debut for Fulham in the Championship, I came on as a sub then got taken off again, which wasn’t the nicest of experiences.

Worse still, it was against Reading, the team that I supported, although not any more after that!




But these things make you stronger and to be honest, I don’t think much fazes me any more.

“I like challenges and that’s why I’m here. I try to show that on the pitch, I try to be brave and show for the ball.

“I’m not really scared to make mistakes — I made a few last Thursday — but I keep trying and that’s all you can do, just try to keep improving.”

While coach Ange Postecoglou rotates his squad and uses subs better than most, O’Riley has completed all but 23 minutes of the five games he’s started since arriving for £1.5million.


But he looks like he’s been in the Parkhead engine room for years rather than weeks.




O’Riley demands the ball, he uses it simply and well, and his fitness levels look off the chart.

But he’s the first to admit that the shock 3-1 home defeat to Bodo/Glimt was far from his best display.




O’Riley said: “Although Europe was another step up, it didn’t faze me. It was just another game.

“I felt comfortable, we just lacked a bit of quality going forward, myself included.

“But you can’t be perfect every week ... you just try and put it right next time.

“We know there are different challenges in each competition, and last Thursday was probably more open than the games we have been used to.

“Come the Dundee game, we might find they sit off a bit more and make us try and break them down. We play at such a high intensity we need a big squad.




That’s why a really good player like Tom Rogic has to come off after 70 minutes, because it’s hard to maintain the levels demanded of us for 90 minutes in every game.

“It’s good we have the depth to be able to make those changes, which is really positive.

“The way we play and train is different to what I’ve been used to.

“It’s non-stop, to be honest. But I enjoy the football, so I don’t mind the running at all.




Wieghorst's face, meanwhile, lights up every time he walks back into Parkhead — and he’ll be grinning even wider if his midweek spy trip proves to be a winner.

Even in the heat of a painful 3-1 defeat to Bodo/Glimt, he and Denmark Under-21 head coach Sorensen saw enough to know the former MK Dons kid is right for them.


Wieghorst said: “Bodo made it difficult for Celtic and Matt, but he showed in glimpses that he’s got a very good left foot.

“O’Riley is good on the ball with good vision, but he and the team definitely had a difficult night.




“I’m so glad he’s at Celtic. There’s no better place to be. He’s playing under pressure here.

“There are expectations, and when things are not going as well as expected the fans will let the players know it’s below par. That’s the way it is playing for a big team and it will serve Matt well.

“He’s come to a much higher level, giving him a higher profile, playing in front of 60,000 — and hopefully playing in Europe for longer than this tie.

“I was made aware of his availability for Denmark when he moved from Milton Keynes, but people in the system have been aware since he was at Under-16 level.




I’ve watched all his Celtic games so far and he’s done well. He looks composed, he sees passes and he got his first goal the other week.

“First and foremost, Matt has to make up his mind whether he wants to go with Denmark.

“The decision’s not been made, but we’ll wait and see what he decides.

“All I’ll say is O’Riley definitely has the ability to be in contention to play for the Under-21s, and then we’ll take it from there.




The No1 thing is the player’s heart has to be in it — let’s hope the Celtic connection helps!”

 

Both jota and rogic wer marked as danger men and any time they received the ball they wer surrounded pretty quickly ,they wer also able to keep the ball and score early which made us start to rush our chances and lose composure .

 

Thought today was his worst game in a Celtic shirt by a mile. Was very ineffective and lost the ball more today than he has in all the other games combined

 

Aye very very poor, but been impressive so far.

Unfortunately him, rogic, mcgregor and hetate have been a bit poor of late in last few games.

Still hes shown enough to prove a valuable acquisition.

 

Quiet today, never really in the game at all. Was shocked Hatate was subbed who actually was probing them well and creative on the ball especially as he brought Rogic on who could just have replaced O'Riley on the same side.

Was a strange sub I thought.

 

Completely agree , I thought for definite O’Riley would have been off as was never in the game at all .

 

Not his best but think he was fouled at the Dundee opener.

 

Just looked off it yesterday, poor first touch, would rest him mid week, need him firing on all cylinders in SPL..

 

I was just watching the highlights there and thought the same. Should've been a foul.

 

Danish call up on the cards for him?

Would be great for him and playing with international players will only add more to his game which we can benefit from

Been a good addition plays lovely through balls, great play with him to mc gregor and GG could have done better.