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Australia goalkeeper Mat Ryan received high praise all round after several terrific saves in his debut UEFA Champions League match for Valencia, but in typical fashion he wasn't getting even remotely carried away with himself.
Ryan's mum, Carol, told The Warm-Up she was in contact with her son soon after the game finished and Valencia had beaten Monaco 3-1 on Thursday morning (AEST), and that he was still talking about where he needed to improve rather than what he had done right.
"He made a really good save in the first half, where he knocked the ball on to the post, and then a couple in the second half as well," Mrs Ryan said.
"I sent him a message congratulating him and he sent one back saying, 'One nice save, the others were just regulation, some good things and some things to improve on'.
"To me, they were a bit more than regulation saves. Mat could sit back and say he had maybe not a great game, but a fairly good game, but I think he's just putting a bit of extra pressure on himself at the moment.
"He wants to be the best for Valencia, to prove he's worth it, but I said to him, 'Mathew, they wouldn't have signed you if they didn't think you were worth the money'.
"He says there are always things to work on, always things to improve on. He's got a great attitude. Hopefully, it takes him a long way."
When The Warm-Up suggested there was no sign of the boy from the western suburbs of Sydney getting a big head, Mrs Ryan replied: "That's for sure - most definitely! He could never be accused of blowing his own horn or anything like that."
Carol said she got up in the early hours to watch the match live on a "pretty awful stream" on her computer, with the picture constantly stopping and starting.
She will have no such concerns next week. The second leg will be screened live on SBS on Wednesday morning.
What did you do on your holidays?
Sydney FC defender Matt Jurman still had fun, but unfortunately for the devout Liverpool fan the opportunity to do one thing he really wanted to do came a bit too late for his holidays.
"After we played in the Tottenham (Hotspur) and Chelsea games, nine or 10 of us went to Mexico for a week," Jurman told The Warm-Up.
"It was good to get away and enjoy that. We were in Cancun. It's a great place, lots of things to do, a really nice beach where you can chill out and we were in a good hotel.
"Then I got back here and went up to the Gold Coast with my girlfriend for a week and that was very relaxing as well.
"I had tickets for the Liverpool and Adelaide game, but I couldn't go because we had training scheduled for the next day and I wouldn't have made it back in time. I just had to get rid of them, but hopefully I'll get to go and watch them play one day at Anfield. I haven't seen them play live yet."
The word
It appears to be a very stable environment within the Socceroos under Ange Postecoglou as coach, and that is not surprising when you hear him talk about how he handles the players.
In case you missed it, this was Postecoglou giving his take on Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios, in the wake of his disgraceful sledge during a match with Stan Wawrinka, during the ABC TV show .
"Having to deal with young men for a very long time now, I look at him and I just see somebody who needs some real direction," Postecoglou said.
"And if you look at everything that happened subsequent to the comment, his family want to come out and protect him, and people around him want to protect him. That means he's probably not learning from the lesson.
"He just needs some honest discussion. I mean, if this was somebody else talking about his sister on the tour, or his younger brother, or even about himself, it takes a different context.
"This is not about protecting him as a tennis player, this is just teaching him some life lessons, because he is only a young man.
"He's going to go through some pain in life and understand words do hurt and these kinds of actions have long-standing ramifications.
"It isn't just about the moment. You can't, as he said, just put it to bed and move on - you can't. There are some things that stay with you."
What is the story behind your Twitter profile pic
Adelaide United and Socceroos defender Tarek Elrich is at the lectern with an award in his hand and looking very cool in a blue suit and maroon tie. Obviously a good night.
"It was our club awards night at the end of last season and I was lucky enough to win a few," Elrich told The Warm-Up.
"I got the players' player, the fans' player of the year and the clubman award. I thought I looked pretty good in a suit and I chose that one because it apparently makes me look sophisticated - or so I'm told. I had a nice haircut, too. I was ready for it.
"I had to make a speech after each award, so when I won the fans' award I thanked the fans and also thanked my many cousins for voting for me, which got a bit of a laugh.
"I appreciated the clubman award as well, because I think that's about what you bring off the field as well as on, and the players' award was the most special one to me.
"I thanked the boys and let them know that without their help as I try to become a better player and better person every day, it wouldn't be possible. I was very humbled. It was a great night."
Dedication
Newcastle Jets had a torrid time towards the end of the Nathan Tinkler era. It finished with the A-League wooden spoon last season and is widely expected again to be among the bottom teams in the new season.
But, football being football, there is always hope, and in the interests of being positive The Warm-Up brings you Simple Minds with their classic hit from 1982, Promised You A Miracle, dedicated to the Jets and their long-suffering fans.
As the wonderful Jim Kerr sings, “Everything is possible in the game of life . . .”
