Anthony Ralston was in the starting XI again as Celtic picked up three points on Boxing Day.
Celtic took their time and a first-half penalty ignited it, but in the end, the Bhoys secured a comfortable 4-0 win over Motherwell.
With Alistair Johnston still out injured, Ralston kept his place in the XI and in with a chance to prove why he should be starting more matches.
Look, even if the Scotland star produced outstanding performance after outstanding performance, Johnston is still going to remain number one because of the consistency he has shown over the years.
Usually, when the Canada star is playing, he has Nicolas Kuhn ahead of him, perhaps Celtic’s best-performing player this season.
But Ralston, in recent starts, hasn’t had that luxury and has played with Yang Hyun-Jun.
Pat Bonner on Anthony Ralston not going forward before assist for Nicolas Kuhn’s goal
There is a gulf in quality between Johnston and Ralston, especially when they go forward, and the former has gone to another level this season, in that regard.
But Pat Bonner noted how Ralston hardly ever bombed forward when playing with Yang on the right-hand side in the first half, as he told BBC Radio Scotland.
Yang was subbed after the hour mark and, surprise, surprise, it’s Ralston in the attacking positions assisting Kuhn for his goal.
“That’s the bit we didn’t talk about at half-time, that relationship with Tony Ralston and Yang down the right-hand side,” said Bonner.
“I can’t remember Tony Ralston getting himself into them forward positions too often in the first half that Johnston would do with his partner Kuhn.
Ralston’s stats for Celtic after win v Motherwell
Even if Ralston isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, at the end of the day, he is doing his job and helping the team to three points.
You do synthesise with him slightly that, for large parts of the last two matches, he has hardly had Kuhn ahead of him, so it doesn’t help matters.
But for Celtic’s win over Motherwell, Ralston was handed a rating of 8.67 by WhoScored.
