Anthony Ralston was the warm-up act for the star of the Media Conference pre-match show, Ange Postecoglou. But the Celtic defender will have had no problem with that as it invariably signals that the player on media duties starts in the game that he’s there to discuss.
“We know it’s a big game but our mentality as a team is we don’t treat it different from any other game. We have prepared well and we have been training well and we are all in a good place as a team and we are looking forward to it,” Ralston said to kick things off for a weekend where all eyes will be on Celtic Park at for the Noon kick-off against theRangers where a Celtic victory will stretch Celtic’s lead to 9 points and a goal difference advantage of +19 plus 2 x the winning margin tomorrow, so a one goal margin victory will take the goal difference to +21 and winning by a two goal margin will see it increase to +23 with just 3 games remaining.
It would take three Celtic defeats and three big wins for theRangers to turn that position around. Not impossible but a win tomorrow will see the Celtic fans celebrate the title, you can be sure of that.
“As a team, we are not looking too far ahead, we’ve got a game on Sunday and we are very much looking forward to it and we know the focus is the three points and we do not look to the next game until the one at the weekend is over,” Ralston replied when asked about securing two wins to be totally certain of the winning the league.
Asked about righting a few wrongs from the Scottish Cup semi-final, the Celtic full back accepted that the defeat after extra time at Hampden was tough to take. “That was a difficult one to take but we have all moved on from that and we have had a game since then it was a great performance last weekend and it has put us back on track and has put us in the right place for the game coming up at the weekend. We have had a good week’s training and we are ready to go.
And while we reckon the support will be celebrating the title tomorrow if Celtic get the three points that’s not really something that the players will be buying into. “We don’t look at it that way. We don’t focus on this game as the outcome of the season. We focus on this game as just three points to help us towards what we want to achieve by the end of the season.
“We have games thereafter to take the same mentality into them as well. We don’t get too far ahead of ourselves and we focus every day in training on what we need to do our focus is on getting the three points and that’s it.”
Ralston then gave his thoughts on Ange Postecoglou being nominated for the Manager of the Year and his views on the job that the manager has done. “It is recognition for the great work that he has done over the course of this season with the team. It is thoroughly deserved and congratulations to him.
“It is well deserved as you can see the way we have played over the season and everybody has contributed to the efforts of the team and the style of play so it is more than deserved.”
And his thoughts on Callum McGregor and Tom Rogic have been nominated as player of the year and the job McGregor has done as the Celtic captain, replacing club legend Scott Brown? “Callum has come into that role and he has done brilliantly. It was a hard task to come in and fill Broony’s boots as well because toy saw the influence he had on the club.
“I think Callum has done really well and he has led us into every game and led by example on the training pitch and in games. He deserves all the plaudits that he is getting. I hope it continues that way in the future,” Ralston replied.
As a Celtic fan himself, what would winning on Sunday and practically winning the league as a consequence. “It would be easy to get carried away and to think about the title, the big games coming up and different things like that but individually and as a team we have the same focus and mindset and that is we take each game as it comes and it’s three points that’s on the line on Sunday and that is where our focus lies not on anything else,” Ralston said.
Next theRangers’ European match in Leipzig was described as ‘taxing’ by the hack asking the next question, failing to see the irony in that one, but does Ralston expect theRangers to be right up for this one as they always are? Wish Ralston replied by saying something like, you mean like the last time they were here?
Instead he said: “It is a derby game and they are crazy. In these games, there are things that happen and we are aware of that. We all have experienced it through the course of this season and we know it is a game that both sides want to win but we take all the craziness out of it and we focus on ourselves as a team, we focus on our football and we don’t let the noise of it all get involved.
“We focus on ourselves and we focus on the three points and go out and play our football.”
Asked if there’s anything specific that the Celtic players need to do differently from the recent game at Hampden. “No, I wouldn’t say so. I feel that’s football and things happen and you learn each time. We have analysed what we needed to and we have moved on. We had a game since then and it has put us back on track, it is a game where we are all in a good place both physically and mentally and we are ready to go for the weekend.”
Asked about whether having the backing Celtic support tomorrow -with just a small pocket of away fans at the game – will give the Celtic players extra confidence Ralston said:
“Celtic Park with a full crowd – there is not much better than that. We’ll be looking forward to playing in front of the supporters and they are the best fans in the world, you cannot complain about a full crowd at Celtic Park.”
And on embracing the atmosphere and using it to the team’s advantage: “It comes with the experience of playing in front of these crowds and also it is about focusing on our style of play and our football and not letting the noise affect that in any kind of way or the kind of game it is or any other external factors. It is about focusing on us as a team and what we need to do to win that game. That’s what will get us through regardless of anything else.
That was that from the hacks. We’ll cover the Celtic Fan Media questions separately.
