by It’s wonderful that it’s that time of year again when the voting forms for the end of season awards start dropping into inboxes, with the Scottish Football Writers’ Association first up yesterday.
What should be named as manager or player of the year is usually no simple task, and the ironic but necessary gap between the voting and the awarding that we are all carrying out can fool us (even more) do.
It is extremely difficult in a season like this when no decision has been made yet regarding the Premiership, and all manner of results could still emerge. How do you vote for the manager of the season when two of the three trophies are still up for grabs, for example?
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If Philippe Clement completes a league and cup double, or even a treble, the Rangers boss should be a shoo-in of course. If he finishes the season with a significant improvement on his side, but just the Viaplay Cup in the trophy cabinet, the picture becomes more complicated.
Brendan Rodgers has been fighting fires all season at Celtic, but if he negotiates the strongest campaign of his two spells in Scotland and comes away with a double, then he must be at the forefront of the conversation.
What about Steven Naismith, who has overcome a sticky start and cemented Hearts as the clear third force in the country, and still has a Scottish Cup to play?
Then there’s Derek McInnes at Kilmarnock, and Stephen Robinson at St Mirren. If either of those managers backs up their impressive six finishes by qualifying for Europe, they must also count.
I will leave that call as long as I can.
When it comes to the players as well, it is quite difficult. The youth award looks like a straight sell between Kilmarnock’s David Watson and Motherwell’s Lennon Miller, but the senior award is a much more complicated case.
There have been seasons when the winner has been staring you in the face, but in the absence of this term of an outlier – a top performer such as Henrik Larsson or Brian Laudrup – there are still plenty of notable contenders.
Jack Butland is the signing of the season for Rangers, and arguably in the division. His teammate and captain, James Tavernier, has quietly gone about posting offensive numbers for the elite striker from his nominal station at right back.
Lawrence Shankland at Hearts has been hugely important, not only maintaining his excellent form from last season, but arguably surpassing it as he has proven himself to be the premier goalscorer in the Premier League.
There are many other worthy candidates, but if I had to make a decision today, there is one player who I think has stood out.
In a season where Celtic’s other main men have not had their problems to look for, Matt O’Riley has been the one constant who has been successful and consistently put in excellent displays.
Cameron Carter-Vickers, Reo Hatate and even the bionic Callum McGregor have had injury problems that have affected their campaigns. There are many opinions about the way Kyogo Furuhashi fits into Brendan Rodgers’ system, and according to the manager, much of that debate is based on fiction.
Whatever the case, what is beyond debate is that the striker certainly hasn’t reached the levels we were used to in his first two seasons in Scotland.
For a good part of the campaign therefore, O’Riley, who is 23 years old, has been the main man for Celtic, and he has more than got the upper hand. He has 13 goals to his name and 11 assists so far in the league this season, a goal tally that no one else can match, but it’s his overall play that marks him above his peers.
O’Riley has great technique and plays with an elegance that makes him easy on the eye, but as well as his goal threat at one end, he has a willingness to work the other way and a tenacity that is often seen.
Not only has his displays earned the Denmark international a full international call-up, but his performances at the highest level in the Champions League have drawn tribute glances – and even a concrete offer for his services – from group rivals Celtic and La Liga giants Atletico Madrid .
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O’Riley admitted to himself recently that Celtic suffered a bit of a slump in the weeks after that offer was withdrawn by Celtic. That, he said, was not because he was upset at being denied an opportunity to leave the club to play at a higher level, but because he had put unnecessary pressure on his own shoulders to live up to his status as a potential target. such great teams in European terms.
However, the fact that he is the only popular player in Scotland at that level of the team at the moment tells you all you need to know about his quality.
At Ibrox on Sunday against Rangers he was back to his best, helping Celtic dominate the midfield – particularly in the first half – with his combination of craft and grit, while ending the worst finishes from the games. a penalty spot that completely thwarted the unusually stressful circumstances.
He was classy, and appropriately so, that’s the adjective that best describes O’Riley.
In the summer, he will surely be rewarded with a move to Atletico Madrid or another step befitting his talents. However, first, in my opinion, he should be presented with a trophy as Scottish player of the year.
