Matt O'Riley has no idea if tomorrow’s Scottish Cup Final is to be Ange Postecoglou ’s farewell. But if the lure of the Premier League and Tottenham Hotspur does prove too big for the Australian then O’Riley is certain of one thing - Celtic will be in a better place for his two years at the helm.
Just like the millions of supporters around the world, the Hoops midfielder hopes the manager is happy right where he is, winning titles with a free-flowing brand of football which has proved too hot for anyone in Scotland to handle.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle stand in the way of a fifth winners’ gong and a domestic clean sweep that would cement the progress marker made on the journey after an extremely impressive first season at the helm. But O’Riley reckons there’s growth, improvement and evolution to be seen all round Parkhead thanks to the manager.
No more so than in his own game which, having come through the other end of difficult period mid-season, he insists is ready to go to another level. Just like Celtic. The Angeball catchphrase might be ‘relentless’ but when it comes to delivering messages to his players O’Riley insists less is more is the manager’s secret. It’s an approach the former MK Dons ace has no doubt has made him a better player.
He said: “For sure. I’d be worried if I wasn’t improving - that’s the biggest red flag for me. Then I’d have to have a rethink.
“But I feel like I’m improving in every aspect. Mentally, physically and the fact we are in this position we are as a team is a bonus.
“I can’t speak for him but I’d like to think he’s happy purely because we’re doing so well. I’d say whatever happens the club is going to be in a good place. But I have no idea what’s going to happen.
“He’s a very good manager which has been proven by the way we play and the results we’ve got. Personally he’s not someone who speaks so much to players. He delegates very well to staff.
“He has very high demands of me so if I’m not at a good level he will let me know which I’m completely ok with. That willingness to push me to have no limits and just keep going and keep going is probably what he’s done best.
“There’s probably a time when people speak too much so the message isn’t always clear or concise. But he picks his moments smartly and is very fair with the messages he gives in terms of what we need to do on the pitch or in training through the week to get success.”
In that regard the past few days has been no different. The opposition may be from a tier below but there’s no danger Celtic will be treating Inverness lightly.
O’Riley is driven on by the hurt felt last season at failing to secure the Treble and have to watch Rangers lift the silverware in the showpiece finale to the season. Or not watch as it was. The 22-year-old can’t remember what he did on May 21 last year but it certainly didn’t involve switching on the telly to see Rangers beat Hearts after extra time having defeated the Hoops in the semi final.
O’Riley said: “It wasn’t a good feeling. I remember the semi final quite well. We came off the pitch knowing we could have played better which is probably the most frustrating thing.
“If you perform well and lose that’s another thing but if you don’t perform to the standards you’ve set then that’s probably when you start to have slight regrets. I’m happy this season we’ve come back and proved ourselves.
“I never watched last year’s final. I don’t know what I was doing but I never watched the game.
“Football is a great game for giving you another opportunity to make things right or improve on something that’s gone wrong. I don’t think we should look back on it as a huge failure because we learned a lot from that game and as a team we are a lot better.
“A lot has changed for me since I’ve come to Celtic. My mentality is probably quite relentless in terms of what I expect from myself and those around me.
“Not in terms of my application towards football and everything I do to improve but in terms of the expectation to win whilst being at Celtic - that’s been the big thing. At previous clubs sometimes you go away and a point can be seen as a good result. But if we go away even to Rangers then a draw is probably seen as a bad result.
“So that’s been the biggest change. Just that constant demand to win games and improve. If we do win on Saturday then next season the expectations are just as high. It is relentless but I enjoy it.”
That must win mantra brings untold levels of pressure to players and has broken many over the years. But having come through the storm of a drop in form, O’Riley reckons he’s reaping the rewards for staying strong.
He said: “There were certain times I found it tough and I had to go through those times where I was struggling to get to where I am now. It’s easily the best I’ve felt both on and off the pitch - on the pitch I feel a lot more free and going through all these experiences in the season definitely helps.
“Experience is the best teacher in football. It’s through experience that you now what you’re feeling and how to deal with it the next time.
“I’m loving it. I just love playing football so when the games are of a higher magnitude it’s even more enjoyable naturally. It’s a cup final and these are the games you want to play in.”
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