Anthony Ralston

Decent finish.

 

Surprised this hasn't come up at all over the transfer window, but surely a vulnerability at RB in case Johnston gets injured and Ralston has to cover, more-so for european games? Having watched him at the Euros and last night theres a mistake waiting to happen.

 

There's a couple of factors to take into account with regards this. First is if we were looking at an alternative RB as back up they would pretty much need to be Scottish as well for the european quota, and there's a reason he's playing for Scotland in that position currently...

The other thing is, and I've said it before, he takes about 6 games in a row to get up to speed when he comes in to the team, I suspect it's more of a confidence thing than a physical one really. So if, and hopefully it never happens, Johnstone gets a long term injury he'll probably get better over the period than we see him just now.

I would like an upgrade on him, I just don't see it as being realistic at this point unless it's a young Scottish player out there that's breaking through, but the downside there is they aren't likely to improve playing back up. It's a tricky one.

 

He does have a mistake in him, but does a lot of good work too. He's good in the air and a genuine threat going forward.

 

Playing for Celtic Ralston has a much better defence and goalkeeper to rely on. It's also not his fault getting chosen to represent your country when you're just a back up at club level..tells you the severe lack of decent Scottish right backs when hickey isn't available.

 

I was at the game last night and actually thought up to the penalty he played well. He gave away the penalty and then constantly backed off his man after that and wasn’t good. He was very hesitant to get forward, he did finally and sets up a goal.

For me we should be looking at this long term, but I also think this may be the last season Johnston is here. He will have been here for 2.5 seasons come the end of the season. If he does well in Europe this year his CV will be very impressive taking in the Copa America and his domestic performances. He will also be a good age for a big league defender.

 

Hesitant to get forward because he got no support on the wing, and if he caught up the pitch then Hanley would be covering the right side and you can't have that. The people on social media blaming him and calling him the worst player when he was far superior to McGinn, Gunn, McLean, McKenna, Dykes and probably others.

I think Ralston is currently the second best right back in Scotland, that probably says something about other right backs though.

 

I agree he was not the worst performer by some distance, I actually thought moving McGinn into the middle away from that right wing position that he started in was long overdue. When you saw Christie and Robertson working together down the left, it wasn’t perfect but got us in good positions bar the equaliser the right hand side was largely dysfunctional.

 

Was at the game too. Thought he was probably our best player up until the mistake for the penalty.

Most of the game he was marking 2 players defensively. Whole defence seemed to pull to the left. Assume it was some sort of tactic but might just have been McKenna and Hanley getting pulled about and being left with no choice.

 

See he got a lot of stick for the penalty, aye looked a rusty defender that. He got the assist for the equaliser, which is a majorly underrated part of his game when the chips are down he stands up and delivers the moment. It’d be highlighted a lot more if Hanley didn’t have his mad momet

 

People really think it's realistic to keep 22+ players happy who are all CL level?

Ralston is a perfect backup. He doesn't let us down.

 

There’s players that are back up that I’d be happy to play in the CL and think we’d get a performance out of them, a very good one or two from them when it’s consistent always relying maybe not. Scales last season in the CL was that, in the Hun games was that, he’s continued it this year on the weekend he was magnificent for me.

Tony Ralston I feel similarly about.

 

I’m never bothered about how players perform for Scotland in the context of Celtic. Scotland are a basket case of a footballing nation. Plenty of talented players have underperformed for them over the years.

Tony is an excellent backup right back

 

I thought he had a good game last night, excluding the penalty incident.

What I would say though is that Clarke absolutely hangs his wing backs out to dry tactically. It’s the same with Robertson, who so rarely looks the same player as you see week in, week out for Liverpool.

So all in all it’s good for us that he’s getting some minutes in his legs, but his performances for Scotland don’t really translate to Celtic in a lot of ways. It’s such a different set up.

He’s a more than capable back up for us in the role he plays.

 

I’m a mix of that, more so that a lot of it is development and how players handle different situations. I take more out of Ralston bursting a gut to set up a late equaliser, despite it ending 3-2 as what I expect from him.

 

Couldn't care less how he plays in a dysfunctional Scottish side, just glad he is getting game time with them.
Giving our resources, having AJ as our first choice and Tony as his back up, its more than adequate.
Tony is relatively low dollar, home grown and has no issues being back up.
He will end his time at Celtic and have a barrow load of medals.
How many medals does he have now?

 

6 Leagues, 3 Scottish Cups, 3 League cups and my heart forever

 

This. After he scored that winner at Ross County in Ange's first season, I reckon the adrenaline I got from that celebration would've been enough to take on * himself.