Anthony Ralston

That season goals and assists he got 9/10 weren’t meaningless ones, equalisers and winners. I * love his mentality. Its slept on that.

I’ve always had the soft spot for underrated ability and phenomenal mentality though, was always slept on judt how good Broony was and a few years out of a stellar Celtic career plaudits are heading his way In hindsight. * that bring that mentality I have a weakness for but

 

no a bad singer ehh

 

Needs to be better...

 

Watching the game back. Cracking pass for the equaliser. Changed the game. Not ideal why he was over that side though.

 

No issue with him coming in for Johnston if that's the only change, but starting him in an entirely new back 4 was asking for trouble

 

Think he was at the backpost for the corner just before it and made himself available for the short corner.

 

Good pass to set up the equaliser but other than that he’s chronic. Painfully slow on the ball and constantly going backwards or sideways.

Johnston is excellent so tough to be compared to him but the drop off when he’s not there and Ralston plays instead is enormous. That being said he doesn’t play much so it’s never going to be easy for him being thrown in.

 

Thought Ralston came on and added that little bit of extra solidity to the back four.

 

Very underrated defensively and mentally I feel, just because he lacks the pace and technical ability to get up and down the wing as much as the modern day fullback is required to.
Wouldn’t want him to leave as he’s a great option for us off the bench/rotation. But if he moved to a team where the fullbacks didn’t overlap much and was just asked to defend with the occasional cross sent in he’d be brilliant in that kind of set up

 

Unfazed when he came on. Not an easy game to be drafted into.

 

Tony will always give us his all. He should been brought.on for trusty earlier.. not a post mortem here apologies

 

I like Ralston but I disagree. Personally, I think he's a poor 1v1 defender, positionally suspect and lacks mobility. There's a reason he's been overlooked by three managers now since he broke through 7 years ago.

He's an adequate player for domestic football, but just like Taylor on the other side, simply not good enough to step up in Europe.

Ralston's strengths are his physicality, aerial ability and supporting the attack with crosses into the box. He also has a decent defense-splitting pass in him.

But ultimately that doesn't cut it when the standard increases.

 

I never said he was to be first choice. That’s why I said “option off the bench/rotation”. Hence my point about him moving to somewhere that plays to his strengths… you kinda just agreed with what I said but worded differently and including Johnston in the point

 

Ralston is a player when he’s needed I’d trust not just ability but for him to have the mentality that he’s breaking his body if needed to not concede, will never hide and will always be available without hiding. He has quality on passing, delivery, covering for teammates and takes responsibility when others don’t.

He has his weaknesses for sure, 1 on 1 defending when he gets squared up and positioning defensively like has been mentioned is definitely part of that. Both feed into the other, he bursts his * for the early tackle to not get exposed one on one, that exposes him positionally defending sometimes. He’ll over commit so his man doesn’t turn and square him up.

But he has other defensive qualities that AJ doesn’t, who can drift away from an attacker and give a bit too much space to or when he thinks he’s exposed he’ll tuck in too much.

AJ is better all round, but our options at RB and Ralston being in the squad I’m more than happy with. Only other areas I’m as happy with for the back up coming in is the fight for first team between Idah and Kyogo, the one between Bernardo and Hatate then it’s AJ/Ralston.


When he came on against Dortmund he was a calming presence, kept the ball, defended well, didn’t try anything risky and tried to see a disaster out. In a game no sub would want on by the time he came on. AJ before his knock had lost the plot a bit as well trying to force some sort of attack, and it * us more. Ralston’s mentality is almost unmatched in the squad, it reminds me of Stephen McManus, another guy who for us was priceless and was captain because of that, not because of ability.

 

I’m an unapologetic fanboy of Tony but he’s never played CB, and throwing him on there in that game his first experience of it would be hanging him out to dry majorly. He wouldn’t complain, I * would but

 

Ach aye, just a few loose shards of dry cement and Ronaldo's ego.

 

Another excellent performance from Ralston, underrated by our support, we’re so lucky to have him as he could easily earn double his wages and start every week in english championship but he’s loyal to Celtic and a solid RB, only have to look at our RB position since KT left as Taylor isn’t better than Ralston and as for backup RB Valle is first decent one we’ve had. Thanks Tony, some of us love and appreciate you

 

Don't mean to be pedantic but literally every player you mentioned there is a lb, with the exception of Ralston himself.

Do think he could be a really good player with a decent run in the squad mind. That being said, I wouldn't go pulling AJ out team any time soon either