Celtic’s trip to Dingwall on Sunday could be the Bhoys’ most important game of the season so far.
Following a disappointing Scottish Cup Semi-Final exit to Rangers, fans are eager to see how Celtic will respond to the result. If there’s one thing Celtic have done better than any this season it’s showing resiliency when faced with a challenge. Celtic have always bounced back following a poor result. When we had last lost to Rangers, we responded with an easy 3-0 win over Ross County.
When we drew at home to Livingston, we responded by going over to Hungary and defeating Ferencvaros in their own backyard, and then showcased one of our best performances of the season in a 4-2 win away at Dens Park.
Celtic need a response, and fans can be confident they will expect it. But one response that could be expected of the manager is the inclusion of Matt O’Riley in the starting 11. The case must be made for him starting, you just have to look at the impact he had on our midfield last Sunday.
In the first half, Celtic’s midfield was consistently being overrun. Rangers had doubled up on Tom Rogic and Reo Hatate wasn’t getting any joy either. It seemed like Callum McGregor was the one doing the defensive work, but also the creator on the attacking front.
When O’Riley came on for Rogic, instant improvements were noticeable. When Rogic was swarmed, he didn’t have the pace or quickness to get away, whereas O’Riley was able to move the ball quickly and get away. He also looked very hungry and seemed to have that bit of fight and desire that maybe the other midfielders barring McGregor were lacking in the first half. It’s just a shame the momentum Celtic had built up in the second half was all but killed off when Greg Taylor and Daizen Maeda had to come off.
His impact on the game at Hampden isn’t the only reason he should start on Sunday however.
This morning saw the release of another on of Reo Hatate’s diaries, this one in particular was very eye-opening as the Japanese midfielder delved deeply into topics covering mental and physical fatigue since coming to Scotland. [Read More Here]
The 24-year-old has been playing almost nonstop since January 2021, same with our other Japanese players, and the prospect of burning out the midfielder is not something Celtic should be risking. Besides, Matt O’Riley is a more than ready replacement, and if Hatate needs a rest then it wouldn’t hurt to play O’Riley.
The importance of Sunday cannot be stressed enough, as Celtic need just 3 more wins to secure the league title. Matt O’Riley should be in the starting lineup for the massive game in Dingwall, fort the better of the team, and for the better of his teammates.
