[Albion] Matt O Riley [26/08/24 - sings on a 5-year deal]

[Greg Bobkin]

How dare you, it was bloody stonking . . . and he should be taking all penalties from now until forever.

But yes we can certainly talk about it more.

It was so good it should be referred to often and for a long time, just like Ulloa's.

That penalty was season-defining. As was the celebration that went with it.

These was a good penalty.

 

[Mellotron]

We should ideally feel the same way about all our players as we feel about Mitoma, JPvH etc.

I dunno - if I was as emotionally invested with ALL of of our players as I am with Mitoma-san, I'd be an anxious wreck in every transfer window.

 

[albionalex]

Not seen the interview where he says he isn't happy playing out of position (apologies if posted earlier in this thread) but could it be a case of having a direct question which has then been taken out of context to be the meat of the interview? Could even have been something along the lines of "Yeah, it's not my best position but it's a team game and if I'm needed there to cover injury/suspension then it's for the greater good"?

Matt O'Riley kæmper med uvante positioner i Brighton

Læs mere her.

www.bt.dk

It's pretty much this.

 

[Weststander]

His role and areas of the pitch at Celtic was a near mirror image of Rutter’s for us. He wasn’t a box to box 8. This was MOR’s.

 

[Machiavelli]

His role and areas of the pitch at Celtic was a near mirror image of Rutter’s for us. He wasn’t a box to box 8. This was MOR’s.

View attachment 203537

Perhaps reflective of the '8' role for Celtic in the Premiership?

 

[All Four Grounds]

Nobody knows neither whether O’Riley will come good for us nor what the coaching staff are saying about him behind the scenes but a lot of players struggle in the first season in the Premier League and there’s a chasm between being a key player in an all conquering Celtic team and vying for a place in a team on the verge of the European places in the most competitive league in the world. Add in that shocking injury on his first appearance and I think it’s presumptuous to conclude he’s not up to it so unless another club offers a good return on the club’s investment on the player I think it’s safe to assume he will be here next season competing for the first team and good luck to him!

 

[Mancgull]

I think the main issue is that Ayari has developed quicker than expected in the No 8 role and due to our strength in that position, MOR is more likely to get games as a No 10. However a fit Rutter will mean that he is probably second fiddle to Rutter with Gruda developing as a backup to Rutter.
I think MOR may well be off. He wants first team football and other teams can probably offer this more readily than we can.

 

[DJ NOBO]

Nobody knows neither whether O’Riley will come good for us nor what the coaching staff are saying about him behind the scenes but a lot of players struggle in the first season in the Premier League and there’s a chasm between being a key player in an all conquering Celtic team and vying for a place in a team on the verge of the European places in the most competitive league in the world. Add in that shocking injury on his first appearance and I think it’s presumptuous to conclude he’s not up to it so unless another club offers a good return on the club’s investment on the player I think it’s safe to assume he will be here next season competing for the first team and good luck to him!

Something’s got to give. We have too many players in the positions MOR likes.
We all agree the guy can take a stonking penalty but if he’s behind Ayari in the pecking order it’s not looking good for him.
It screams season long loan in Italy to me.

 

[dazzer6666]

I think the main issue is that Ayari has developed quicker than expected in the No 8 role and due to our strength in that position, MOR is more likely to get games as a No 10. However a fit Rutter will mean that he is probably second fiddle to Rutter with Gruda developing as a backup to Rutter.
I think MOR may well be off. He wants first team football and other teams can probably offer this more readily than we can.

….land possibly Facu competing too.

 

[Weststander]

Perhaps reflective of the '8' role for Celtic in the Premiership?

I thought 8’s were box to box with defensive responsibilities too, the engine of the team.

Celtic employed MOR around the forwards and wide right. It was mentioned when he signed that he didn’t offer the defensive attributes of Gilmour (which were usually poor).

 

[Machiavelli]

I thought 8’s were box to box with defensive responsibilities too, the engine of the team.

Celtic employed MOR around the forwards and wide right. It was mentioned when he signed that he didn’t offer the defensive attributes of Gilmour (which were usually poor).

Agree about Gilmour's defensive attributes, but he gave the impression of them because he lacked the mobility to get forward (let alone get back again). Gilmour was outstanding at one part of the game, but wanting at others.

 

[GT49er]

Something’s got to give. We have too many players in the positions MOR likes.
We all agree the guy can take a stonking penalty but if he’s behind Ayari in the pecking order it’s not looking good for him.
It screams season long loan in Italy to me.

If - as many on NSC seem to think - he's behind so many other players in the pecking order now, a season in the lower echelons of Italy - or anywhere else for that matter - isn't likely to change things. Re-coup what we paid would seem the most likely choice. TBH, it always felt like we'd bought in one (or even two) too many last summer anyway, compounded by the arrival of Gomez in January.

 

[Southern Scouse]

An Evertonian friend of mine thinks they have made contact with us about him, loan with obligation to buy?

 

[DJ NOBO]

If - as many on NSC seem to think - he's behind so many other players in the pecking order now, a season in the lower echelons of Italy - or anywhere else for that matter - isn't likely to change things. Re-coup what we paid would seem the most likely choice. TBH, it always felt like we'd bought in one (or even two) too many last summer anyway, compounded by the arrival of Gomez in January.

Doubt there’ll be a long queue of clubs looking to spend £25m on Matt O’Riley.

 

[Weststander]

Agree about Gilmour's defensive attributes, but he gave the impression of them because he lacked the mobility to get forward (let alone get back again). Gilmour was outstanding at one part of the game, but wanting at others.

A short passing game near the centre circle. Tenacious too in his final home game for us.

 

[Weststander]

Doubt there’ll be a long queue of clubs looking to spend £25m on Matt O’Riley.

 

[GT49er]

Doubt there’ll be a long queue of clubs looking to spend £25m on Matt O’Riley.

Yes, that's true. I don't think there were many when we signed him either! Maybe four seasons of loan fees might be our best - or least worse - option.

 

[All Four Grounds]

We all agree the guy can take a stonking penalty but if he’s behind Ayari in the pecking order it’s not looking good for him.

After an injury blighted season he’s behind a player who has come into a rich vein of form after being at the club for the years? That’s not only hardly a surprise it reinforces the reason why the club is club is patient with new signing (with Mac Allister being the best but by no means the only example) and it is club policy to sell players when they have either increased their value or are coming to the end of their contract. Neither applies to Matt O’Riley.

 

[Zeberdi]

I thought 8’s were box to box with defensive responsibilities too, the engine of the team.

Celtic employed MOR around the forwards and wide right. It was mentioned when he signed that he didn’t offer the defensive attributes of Gilmour (which were usually poor).

Typically but FH doesn’t use 8‘s in a typical way - in fact he’s rather a non-positional oriented tactician altogether so it’s probably better to change our mindset on our traditional ways of defining roles.

With FH, when we play out from the back, the ball is played wide and vertically quickly while at the same time, the central midfielders move quickly up into the central attacking area vacating the central defensive midfield so looking more like false 9s (or false 8s!) leaving the midfield empty while the FBs progress up the wing and the CAMs move into a forward line with the wingers.

Formations and positions are not really so relevant in FH’s game - he wants players that can read the play and overload ball playing areas and that are versatile enough to play a fluid game and find a solution in the moment.

MoRs comments about wanting to be a number 8 suggests he doesn’t yet get this aspect of our DNA and watching him, he seems to think that once the ball has passed out of his area of the pitch, his role is over.

FH wants every player to be both a defender and an attacker - perhaps with the exception of the GK.

 

[Weststander]

Typically but FH doesn’t use 8‘s in a typical way - in fact he’s rather a non-positional oriented tactician altogether so it’s probably better to change our mindset on our traditional ways of defining roles.

With FH, when we play out from the back, the ball is played wide and vertically quickly while at the same time, the central midfielders move quickly up into the central attacking area vacating the central defensive midfield so looking more like false 9s (or false 8s!) leaving the midfield empty while the FBs progress up the wing and the CAMs move into a forward line with the wingers.

Formations and positions are not really so relevant in FH’s game - he wants players that can read the play and overload ball playing areas and that are versatile enough to play a fluid game and find a solution in the moment.

MoRs comments about wanting to be a number 8 suggests he doesn’t yet get this aspect of our DNA and watching him, he seems to think that once the ball has passed out of his area of the pitch, his role is over.

FH wants every player to be both a defender and an attacker - perhaps with the exception of the GK.

Thank you. One thing it’s clear FH does favour at both St Pauli and for us is playing two CM powerhouses who can play the game too, in front of the CB’s. I felt it was always going to be Baleba and Wieffer, but the RB void meant the latter spent time deputising there. Absolutely key to his formation and tactics. FH has trialled the lot next to Baleba, only Wieffer, Ayari and Hinsh have shown they can succeed there, imho MOR hasn’t. Leaving him to fight for a place up field either wide right, 10, ACM. With a load of competition, Rutter the business.