Anthony Ralston

Looking forward to seeing him and JF getting a run together.

 

HAVING finally established himself in the Celtic first team and made his debut for Scotland this season, Anthony Ralston could not be any happier right now.

Yet, the Parkhead right back, who helped his side edge out St Johnstone at Hampden on Saturday and book a place in the Premier Sports Cup final, has much that he still wants to achieve.

The 23-year-old has never featured in a final never mind lifted a trophy during his time with the Glasgow club and he is determined to do both when they return to the national stadium next month





This will be my aim,” he said. “I will get back into training and focus on the games coming up first and foremost. But when the time comes around I will be ready for the final as well.

“I have been in and around the squad and I have gone to finals as either a fan or as part of the squad. It is something that I personally look forward to now I am playing and something we are all looking forward to as a club.

“It has been a great time for me in my life and for my family as well. I am loving every minute of it. To get my Scotland cap was another dream I have managed to achieve. I am just looking to keep working hard, keep myself right, keep playing these games and do the best I can for the team.”


The Celtic defender, who again performed well going forward and at the back in the narrow victory over the defending champions at the weekend, certainly knows that nothing less than victory in the final will suffice.




We are a club that wants to win everything that we are involved in and that will definitely be our aim,” he said. “We will put it to the back of our heads for a minute and focus on the games coming up. But when that game comes we will look to add another trophy to the many we have won before.”

Ange Postecoglou’s men didn’t perform at their brilliant best at the weekend against opponents who defended in numbers and offered little going forward.

Still, Ralston feels Celtic showed a quality in the encounter with their cinch Premiership rivals that will prove invaluable for them in the coming months – an ability to grind out a result


It was a tough game,” he said. “We expected that coming into the game. We were set up well and focused on how we wanted to play and that is what we did. It was a hard-fought win, but I am delighted we won in the end and can look forward to a final now.

“It is not always going to be pretty – especially when other teams are going to set up defensively. We need to find a way to break them down. It is not always going to be as free-flowing as we would like it to be. That is when we need to show our character. To a man, we all did that on Saturday night.”

“It is about staying calm in these games because it can get very heated, especially when you don’t score early on and it is getting near the end of the game. They were looking to counter us and we were aware of that.

“We stayed disciplined in our shape, got our goal and then we managed the game from there. I am delighted we were able to do that.”

Ralston was especially pleased that it was James Forrest, who spent six weeks on the sidelines injured this season, who clinched the victory after replacing Liel Abada in the second-half.

“He has had difficult time with injury, but that is the quality that he has got,” he said. “He can come on and make the difference for the team. You have seen it year in year out with him.




He has been a big loss for us. But I am delighted and we are all delighted as a team that he is coming back into the fold now. He can bring that to our game and make the difference.”

Ralston, who spent the 2019/20 campaign on loan at St Johnstone, confessed he had felt for the Perth club when their defence of the League Cup ended on Saturday.

“I spent a season at St Johnstone a couple of years back,” he said. “They are a great group of lads. I have stayed in contact with some of them. For 90 minutes you forget about that. But they were good to me and I have got a lot of time for them.

“I got my game time and experience of playing and that has definitely helped me. It was a stepping stone to where I am now. I have got a lot of time for them as a club and wish them all the best.”

 

Let’s not kid ourselves, incredibly out his depth at this level, a few good performances in Scotland doesn’t change the fact he’s totally average.

 

As much as I like the lad if we sign a Left back who's the standard of Juranovic and then Juranovic slots back to his natural RB position, Ralston won't get much of a look in.

 

Should have nutted that glaiket looking *

 

Other than the penalty thought Juranovic was as poor as I've seen him.

 

One of his poorer games for us.

 

He was * shocking man, hospital balls everywhere.

 

Pish tonight. Cost us the game.

 

Not the entire 2nd half, when Forrest went off, he got used to the protection he was provided and defended very narrowly (something Big Ange seem’s to like in his fullbacks), when Abada comes on that cover went away and he was stuck in between two positions. *.

His run and quality at the end for the cross should have got us the equaliser at the death though.

 

not good enough for europe unfortunately

 

Gets a pass as he has been so good, butnaye probably a main reason we got beat, as said juranovic was horrible too.

 

Was woeful tonight.

 

When Forrest went off, he was competently *, Abada didn't help anywhere near enough.

 

Played a big part in all thee goals conceded tonight.

Heart of a lion, but he shouldn't be our starting RB. Would be happy enough with him as back up, but need to sign a better RB, or sign an actual LB so Juranovic can play in his natural position.

 

Aye been pish against Alkmaar and Betis, and most our games eh

* just waiting for the claws to come out. The 65 minutes that he and Forrest were on the same side of the pitch absolutely nothing came down it, it was all down the left.

 

People are being harsh on him. He's been great all season and wasn't the only one to get rinsed by their players on more than one occasion. Played some nice passes and made a few crucial interceptions as well tonight.

 

He was totally fine ... until Abada came on. Then he was doing all the work himself.
Still the starting RB