Matt O'Riley admits being granted an audience with Ange Postecoglou can be so rare that he hangs on his every word.
The Celtic midfielder revealed an aloof side to his manager, which he believes is a ploy to ensure when the Australian does speak, his players listen. As the Dane attempts to force his way back into a starting slot with the champions, he insists recent weeks of having cameo roles off the bench have forced some personal improvements, which involved easing the psychological pressure of striving for perfection when he’s on the pitch.
Whether Postecoglou offers the 22-year-old a recall into his side which will face Hearts on Wednesday evening remains to be seen but he’s adamant when it comes to communicating with his gaffer, it’s good to talk. He said: “Regarding the gaffer, he doesn’t actually speak to us much at all. At the training ground he delivers information when he needs to in meetings and on the pitch in pre-match sessions. In general, you probably won’t see that much of him.
“He keeps himself to himself. I think that is so he detaches away from the players and allows himself to pick a team without too much emotion. So I can understand his reasoning for that. But at the same time, whenever I’ve spoken to him he has been very friendly.
“You don’t expect to hear much from him. So when you do, you are probably quite grateful he actually speaks to you in a way. I think he is careful in terms of when he speaks to you and saying the right things.”
O’Riley broke his scoring duck for Celtic in a win over St Mirren at the start of last month and followed that with another against the Buddies on Sunday. He believes he’s adopted a mental approach about not beating himself up about performances and not finding the back of the net.
O’Riley added: “It’s nice to contribute regardless of whether it is scoring goals or providing assists. Just being on the pitch helping the team is the main thing. But, yes, it has definitely been nice to score a couple of goals.
“Yes, it did annoy me, if I am being honest. I would be lying if I said it didn’t. But at the same time, it probably wasn’t happening because I was trying too hard in a way. I was probably putting a bit too much pressure on myself to get the outcome. Whereas now I am just going with whatever and it is happening.
“I wouldn’t say it was a change from a training perspective, it was probably more a mindset thing. Specifically off the pitch in terms of doing work away from football to just try to get my head right. I have done that now. I think it is in a good place. Hopefully I can finish the season in a strong way.”
Hours of work under Hoops coach Gavin Strachan is also being cited as a huge factor in the development of O’Riley’s game. And the former Denmark Under-21 playmaker is adamant it paid dividends when he deputised in a deep sitting role during the absence of skipper Callum McGregor.
He said: “I have worked quite well with Gavin, one of our senior coaches here. I have worked quite a lot with him in terms of reviewing games and watching clips. That allowed me to adapt quite easily. I also asked Callum questions as well because he had played the position a lot more than I had. If you are curious enough to ask questions in order to improve then you will hopefully get the results over time.
“Over the course of time I probably got more comfortable playing deeper and adapted quite well at the end.”
As Postecoglou prepares to rack up his 100th game in charge, O’Riley is adamant he’ll always be in his manager’s debt for bringing him to Paradise and improving him as a player.
He said: “I have learned different things from him, I have probably taken quite a lot. I have learned about the system we play. I have learned a lot about myself in terms of adding things to my game, probably being a bit more dynamic physically and running in behind. Things like that.
“Plus he brought me here in the first place to an extent. So I have to give thanks for that, for being able to play for a club like this. He is the reason I am here and I can say ‘thank you’ for that. Since the first day he has given me the platform to show what I can do. He has shown quite a lot of faith in me.”
The supersub tag may not sit well on O’Riley’s shoulders but he admits his spell in the dugout has had some fringe benefits as he’s found the opposition can be there for the taking by the time he comes on.
He added: “In some ways when you come off the bench you know that you have worn out the team for about 60 or 70 minutes so there are going to be a few more spaces. There are probably a few more spaces to exploit and a few more chances to score. That is the positive in coming off the bench.
“It is about staying ready the whole time while you are sitting down. It is very easy to switch off potentially or not be as ready as you can be if you are not focused. That is the main difference. “When you start, you are looking to impact the game from the warm-up and straight on the pitch.”
READ NEXT:
