Matt O'Riley

Surprised no one’s talking about him. Thought he was absolutely superb in that first half. Panenka was filthy.

 

Brilliant composure, he's always good against them.

I love the guy, I still think he gets too much stick considering he's produced a POTY season.

 

Outrageously sexy moment. Ruined it when he didn't jump the hoarding and sweet chin music one of the ugly *.

 

Baws of * steel man. That was outrageous that penalty.

New penalty taker for the next 3/4 then till he * it like we usually see in our new penalty takers

 

Love this post from him, and not just because he's highlighting his panenka.

It's clear the dressing room are in really good spirits after yesterday. O'Riley here, Idah all smiles in his post-match interviews saying he can't wait to get the huns at Parkhead, Carter-Vickers clearly determined and positive after the game. Rodgers clearly pleased with the performance too. That's really important.

The whole thing huns are trying to take out of yesterday was that it was a "gut punch" for us and a morale-drainer. It looks like it was anything but.

I think the players have taken a lot of belief and confidence as they know they had the huns beat on their own patch once again before the refs got involved.

 

the way he closes down players and shuts down the space is superb as well. that penenka was outstanding. Some boy

 

Great post. I totally agree.

 

I think there’s an air of we should have done it and we’re in the dressing room not feeling sorry we didn’t, annoyed that we didn’t, still had an acceptable result in the bigger picture, and we’re thinking stick together and * make sure of it going into the run in now.

I like the feeling behind what we’re hearing.

 

Should just tell him he's taking every penalty regardless until the end of the season. No use changing every time someone misses, and no use having your #1 penalty taker sitting on the bench.

 

Defensively he’s * excellent and it goes largely unnoticed due to his output going forward and the more noticeable things he can do, the fancier stuff.

It’s one of those things I keep thinking, the respect I have that he didn’t force a move to Atletico Madrid when he could have probably made it happen (much like Dembele forcing it to Lyon), because Diego Simeone and him would be a tremendous match and he could turn him into a monster of a player.

He’s largely put it to the back of his mind that, and he will go in the summer with my best wishes as well, but there’s no guarantee it’d be a move like that. Fair play to him, people have been grumbling about form after the break from him but he’s still been our most important guy out there, even if he’s not been as absolutely imperious as the first half off the season.


Baws on him for that penalty though man

 

It massively helps because he's tall as well but he knows exactly how to wrap them around players for a tackle and cut out space for a pass etc. Quite hard to describe it really!

I grumbled a bit I must admit but that's after some * results. Calmed down a bit since then and agreed he would leave the club my best wishes as well! To be fair to Dembele there was obviously a few disagreements with Rodgers hence the move happening.

 

Midfield were diabolical in the first half. Iwata seemed to make the difference.

Really need a proper dm.

 

Second half till he came off, Calmac looked more what we expect off him. First half he was sluggish, not sharp at all, and was man marked. Him on the pitch our players will give him the pass regardless though, that full first half McGregor and O’Riley were being man marked and Hatate was giving an option in miles of space, we kept just passing to McGregor rather than skipping out that pass further up the pitch.

Calmac is that rarely not a safe pass, when he’s there, when he’s not able to be the safe pass due to fitness like the weekend there, we just do not adapt to not using him as the option. Iwata makes himself available but we’re far more willing to not use it and use his movement to skip out the pass to further up the pitch. It’s the rarely seen downside to having the commanding reliable presence that McGregor brings 99% of the time.

 

Got a feeling he's going to show his class today..