Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate has said he had to establish a partnership with Matt O’Riley pretty much on the fly against Hearts.
Hatate, who has been outstanding in both of his starts for Celtic, found himself as the senior partner to O’Riley on Wednesday night. Despite having just one more Hoops appearance than his new colleague, it was Hatate tasked with guiding the ex-Fulham man through the game.
Ultimately, it worked; the duo combined to great effect for Giakoumakis’ goal. Hatate found O’Riley drifting right, and he crossed to the Greek striker to make it 2-0. But Hatate says there was little to no time to establish a working relationship before the game.
Not that you’d know, honestly. The duo combined for 94 passes, and shared 130 touches of the ball [WhoScored?]. The pair ran the show against Hearts, and it’s going to give Ange Postecoglou some really interesting decisions to make in the coming weeks.
Hatate praised the English youth international for bringing him into the game, and sounded optimistic about their partnership.
Hatate said [Scotsman]: “With Matt we [didn’t] have enough time to train.
“We [had] to learn about each other during the game. But I think I can play very well with him. He also tried to utilise me efficiently.”
Could Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley form a formidable duo for Celtic?
Given that Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley are more than likely to feature in our next couple of games, this was a really promising sign from the other night.
Admittedly, there were initial phases where the pair looked a little unsure about where the other would be. It didn’t take long, though, for Hatate to figure out where O’Riley preferred to move, and vice versa. Both players have the vision for it not to have been any kind of issue in the end.
Against Dundee United, it seems more than likely that Hatate and O’Riley will constitute Ange’s midfield pairing. Nir Bitton, excellent throughout against Hearts, should get picked again.
That’s the benefit of recruiting well. Ange Postecoglou and his scouts were surely cognisant, especially after the summer, of how quickly he might have to use new players. Knowing they have the tactical understanding to rapidly adapt to new situations, and the temperament to handle it, was something Ange would’ve had in mind before signing either player.
It’s very good stuff, and Celtic fans can’t wait to see the pair against Dundee United tomorrow.
Read more: Scott Bain details the goalkeeping changes at Lennoxtown since Postecoglou came to Celtic
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