Before I get into the point I’m about to make, I just want to preface my argument by saying that in no way am I using hindsight to make out that Clarke would be a poor fit for Celtic compared to Ange, considering the job he’s doing at present. I am merely making a correlation between the way Steve Clarke plays the game and why Ralston was overlooked for Scotland.
So, Steve Clarke decided to overlook Anthony Ralston for the international break that is still currently in progress, and will finish with Scotland (hopefully) securing a seeded place in the World Cup play-offs tonight. Clarke has done a teriffic job with Scotland, of that there is no doubt. First tournament in 20 odd years, half a dozen or so of his predecessors tried and failed to achieve this feat – that’s got to carry weight as a manager and a coach.
Photo T. Goode
Having said that, I still feel in my gut that Steve Clarke would not have been a good fit for Celtic. His work at Kilmarnock – which more or less secured him the Scotland job – was built around being hard to beat. Endeavour. Then some more. And more of the same again. It worked at Killie for sure, but man they were a hard watch at times; especially on that plastic pitch. Clarke knew how to milk the very last drop of quality out of each and every one of the players at his disposal. It’s why Scotland have done so well under him, with the pool of players available admittedly far superior and talented in comparison to the Ayrshire club’s.
👋 @anthonyralston8 #SCODEN pic.twitter.com/gMHJ6JGZPF
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) November 14, 2021
However, his fundamentals of how to play the game have never wavered, as Scotland haven’t been exactly majestic to watch. They haven’t even been overly adventurous I would add either. Which brings me nicely on to my point about our man, Mr Ralston.
Clarke openly divulged the main reason why he didn’t pick Tony without actually saying it outright. It was more subliminal. In his interview, reasoning why he called up Ralston, he said: “Celtic play in a different way to us, but he has attributes that could make him a good wing-back or right-back”, as reported by Scottish Sun. Herein lies the dichotomy of how he sees the game, versus the way the Celtic supporters want to see it played.
: Anthony Ralston scores the opening goal during the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between Hibernian FC and Celtic FC at on October 27, 2021 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Ralston has been sensational under Ange (that’s not hyperbolic by the way, the boy has been tremendous) in fitting into this new style of play that Postecoglou demands from his players. Clarke, whether he meant it or not, revealed why he didn’t pick Tony in the first place; he doesn’t want any of his team being too cavalier in their attitude or approach on the field of play. Unfortunately for Steve, this has always been the Celtic Way. It is like oxygen at Celtic Park – a team must play to win of course, but it must be done in a certain manner. You need only look at our triumph all those years ago in the heat of Lisbon as evidence of this.
Photo: Andrew Milligan
Clarke would never have been able to satiate the Celtic Support and their hunger for pure, beautiful, inventive football. That is no slight on Steve. He just has a difference of philosophy to the ones which buttress Celtic Football Club. There is more than one way to skin a cat as they say. However, at Paradise, anything other than sexy, progressive football is a no-go. Something about it doesn’t sit right. Anthony Ralston embodies these qualities on the right hand side of our defence and midfield, playing the way the support and his manager want him to.
Always forward-thinking, always on the front foot, always willing to try something risky. That is not Steve Clarke I’m afraid, not at all. Quiet and reserved, with greatest of respect he would never Rock the Casbah, would he?
Paul Gillespie
