Liam Scales

Some people refuse to give him credit no matter how well he plays..

 

He was excellent defensively today

 

Had three crucial defensive interceptions today, two with his head. Still takes too long on the ball at times but that game today where the opposition bombard the box with set plays is right up his street.

 

100% and I've said this for ages. For our so called "rubbish" like Scales and Ralston we raise the bar very high, they have to be absolutely perfect not to get abuse, doesn't mean they get praise either but for others we put the ball very low.

I find living in a world where James Forrest is a Celtic "legend" and Scales and Ralston are nowhere near good enough to be at the club and I find it incredibly perplexing how those two viewpoints can be held simultaneously.

 

Imperious, MotM performance.

 

Been our best player all season, and i’m not a huge fan of his , but credit where it’s due .

 

This. At least everytime i watch Celtic i know hes going to give 100%.

 

Was excellent again today as he has been all season so far.

 

Won just about every aerial battle.

 

When the ball is launched into our box he won every header I think...it's the bringing the ball out he's so limited.

 

Yeah I've got on his back for that before. But CCV didn't get the same treatment, when he lost it 25 yards from their goal, and they broke when he was out of position.

 

* it.

Happy to say this - * bitched Miovski about today.

So much of the build-up was about Miovski being the hero. How he was going to come in and score the winner because it was all set up for him and we're so *.

Scales absolutely bossed him all over Ibrox. Didn't let him get a sniff and was constantly aware of his movements outside of one moment where he still applied enough pressure to force Miovski into making the wrong decision.

I've been one of Miovski's biggest admirers and one of Scales' biggest critics on here. But he dominated that duel today and massive massive credit to him.

 

Ralston is rubbish, though. I wouldn't put those two in the same basket.

Scales is an extremely good player who just lacks a bit of pace. When not asked to hold a high line against a very rapid striker, he's one of the best defenders I've seen at the club in a couple of decades (behind only Virgil, CCV and Denayer). If you take the brief Virgil/Denayer combination as an obvious exception, then Scales walks into any Celtic team since Strachan replaced MON. He's a good enough player to win 2 MOTM awards in the CL! Mediocre players don't do that.

Ralston, on the other hand, doesn't lack a bit of pace, he lacks pace like David Weir and Daniel Majstorovic's love child. He's also incredibly limited technically. To give him his due, he reads the game extremely well, can cross a ball and can spot a defence-splitting pass better than most of our midfield; but he's an extremely limited player. Mediocre is putting it kindly.

 

Aye that’s fair.

 

Very good again this week. Fair play. Still can’t pass the ball, mind you

 

I’m a big fan of him and was raging to see him included. He went off injured midweek, couldn’t train because of it, will always play through it if asked but shouldn’t be and it was obvious that he was.

Donovon has shown enough the glimpses of him, he’s got guys around him like CCV, Kaspar Schmiechal, Scales and Tierney. Calmac nearby, and a Swedish International infront of him on the pitch.

If we can’t play him with that around him, when he’s shown enough to be gave a chance, playing an injured Ralston instead. When the * can we? Shocking that.



Also, Scales by far best player on the pitch for us today

 

Scales was our man of the match yesterday, as he was this time two years ago when first thrown in to the deep end against them.

He's a good old fashioned back against the wall defender, he cleared everything that came his way and made Miovski redundant.

He is too slow playing out from the back, but in all honesty I would rather that defensive solidity every day of the week.

We won't lose many games when he's keeping a clean sheet

 

He can be at times, but he’s also by far the most positive on the ball, moving the ball forward and direct passer from the back as well. He goes from what you’re saying, the least and ponderous on the ball to by far the most positive and quickest to move it… and it’s soley reliant on what’s infront of him.

There needs to be movement and options, when there’s very little of it he dallies and waits and looks for the passes that he does when it’s there. He can’t do it without that.

Players from CB that we’ve had who were that defender could - Ajer, Denayer, VVD being who I’m thinking of there. They shouldn’t have needed to. And we’re exceptional with how they could do it. Scales I love, isn’t that level, and I don’t blame him when he doesn’t have that infront of him.

because it’s * ridiculous that we play that way.