Anthony Ralston

A lot of the criticism of him is very harsh.

Ran himself into the ground, actually got forward effectively and put in some decent crossed, and made some really good recovering challenges.

Ultimately, we’re asking him to do things he’s very, very clearly not comfortable doing. That could be said for the entire backline and goalkeeper if we’re being honest.

Einstein supposedly said something along the lines of “if you judge a fish by its ability to fly, it will live its whole life believing itself to be stupid”. That could be applied to any one of our defenders really, but I would suggest the one consistently asking fish to fly is the issue.

 

This is the problem! It was Ralston who gave the ball away in the centre circle for the second goal. Time and again we were caught with NO full backs but 6 midfielders! In a competitive game played at pace - 6 midfielders and no full backs!

 

He’d be awful at CDM, particularly in this system.

Doesn’t have the quality to receive the ball, facing his own goal with a player pressing him. McGregor is great there because he’s so assured in possession and can play his way out of danger. Ralston isn’t good enough on the ball to do that job.

 

Yip.

Joe Average on the street can see our faults, so how easy do you think it is for opposition scouts/analysists and managers to the * in our armour that’s as big as the hole in the * Titanic!

The biggest issue is that our “well travelled and highly experienced” Head Coach either can’t see it or is too stubborn not to change it…

 

Ralston has come on leaps and bounds- as an orthodox right back I actually think he is good. Strong in the tackle, good engine. But this inverted full back system is complete madness. I dont care who was playing last night the outcome would have been similar. Ralston deserves his place in the team.

 

He's not our level mate. He'll be off to the lower championship before long.

Endeavor only gets you so far. It will get to the point when you actually need to show a bit against some better sides and that's where you see Ralstons limitations.

 

He never hides by the way..

When a lot of people were, he was in the middle offering his self everytime..

He has been poor the last couple of game's for me but the system is definitely killing him..

 

Disagree. Actually think he is a solid wee player. At the least he should be kept even as back up.

 

He deserves credit for playing himself into contention and you can’t fault his effort. But this system is really not helping him, along with him having other limitations that are badly exposed against stronger opposition.

 

For me he is fine as the backup at right back. But he just is not good enough technically to be the main man at right back and that showed again last night.

 

He’s in his best form in this system though, so it’s also helped a lot. The severe lack of protection from Abada is the worst thing for him against teams like that. Forrest being there would stop a lot of the exposure on that side. He gets left 2v1 far too much, never mind when he moves in side the space on the wing. Jota done it far better on Thursday for Montgomery and McGregor naturally covers the left side of the pitch a lot more than the right.

Some of our best play went through him and him covering bailed us out a good few times as well. The rest of the team need to chip in to help going back on the right though, we seen the same with Juranovic there as well.

What we need to do though, is not just pass to him in the middle because he makes an option, he can’t turn with the ball. He is good there when he’s looking forward, we use the option too much just because he’s there.

Doesn’t help us offensively, leaves us open and passes the buck to a certain extent. Probably turn out to be him that passed to him for the 2nd and al look a clown but McGregor usually picks his time to pass when he’ll effect the game rather than just passing because he shows for the ball regardless.

His passing is majorly underrated man, his diagonal to Jota for his shot and Abada’s sitter was the best all night.

His cross for Jota’s header was brilliant, and there was a few more that never ended up a big chance for us.

Not so much on here but on social media and watching the games with people I think everybody’s just waiting for this just to be good form from him and the original opinion they formed to be validated. We’re annoyingly harsh on him.

That also makes me stick up for him that bit extra so I’m aware that I’m not exactly unbiased here but he’s another one we need to allow room to grow as a player along with Abada and Turnbull. The three of them don’t play like unexperienced youngsters for 90% of the game and when we do, because we know that’s more the norm (at least this season) we don’t allow that little bit of leeway to realise that’s how you learn and grow as a player. We all like youngsters getting a chance up until they don’t do what a more experienced player will.

 

I’d argue that confidence and his own determination has been what has allowed him to show some good form. I also don’t think it’s harsh to state he has limitations, he does.

 

Of course he does. I can’t think of a player who doesn’t.

 

The Rambo of old is back. Grim

 

Decent running forward with the ball, but when he’s trying to be a defender, he’s * awful.

 

Abada needs to stop leaving him 2 on 1, that full wing is open because he’s unwilling to defend it.

 

Make it stop.

Looks like that horse tripping over the ball when he’s running with it. The number of times he attempts to go past a player but just has no technical ability to do it. It’s painful to watch.

First touch has been *. And I’ve said it time and time again, he turns like a bus. Whenever he’s facing his own goal, he doesn’t have the agility or skill to turn and get himself out of trouble.

 

He’s been a mixed bag. Unfortunately we have 2 defenders playing significantly poorer in Starfelt and Monty. 2 of them are all over the shop.

 

His instinct is to clear the ball, but Postecoglou must have threatened players with the death penalty, so Ralston is trying to be clever under pressure. I blame the manager, and Abada, but he has the excuse of being our only attacking outlet this half.