ANTHONY RALSTON is calling on Celtic to display true grit as they prepare for the visit of Danny Rohl’s Ibrox side for a crucial derby encounter at Parkhead on Saturday.
The New Year will kick off with manager Wilfried Nancy and his players in sharp focus as they attempt to address a depressing sequence of games that has seen them lose five of the Frenchman’s seven outings.
Already there are cries for the under-pressure gaffer to be sacked and the furious fans left no-one in any doubt of their frustrations in the 2-1 loss against Dundee United at Tannadice and again at Fir Park on Tuesday as the Hoops brought down the curtain on a dreadful year with an insipid 2-0 reverse against Motherwell.
Nancy is smack in the firing line with an intriguing and testing all-Glasgow confrontation coming up fast.
FIR PARK TORMENT…Anthony Ralston in action during the 2-0 loss at Motherwell.
Scotland international defender Ralston said: “We understand the magnitude of this game.
“We have experienced players in the dressing room who know what the game’s all about. We’ll be ready.
“First of all, we need to show the fight. We have been showing grit when we’ve had to show it. But, as a collective unit, both offensively and defensively, we need to tidy up on a few things.
“When we have the chances, we need to take them. Come the weekend, it’s a game that we are all very familiar with, especially the experienced lads.
“And we will be more than ready to take that on.
“It’s our job to create the most positive atmosphere we can. We understand the difficulties, but there’s no excuses in football, especially at a club like Celtic.
“You win and you bring success. There’s no other way around it.”
Ralston, speaking to the Scottish Sun, continued: “Tuesday night’s defeat at Motherwell was very difficult.
“As an individual and as a group of players, it’s not something you’re willing to accept.
“We’re in a period now where we’ve got a match every three days. We know the game we’ve got at the weekend, so we will take the time to analyse Motherwell.
HAND IT TO THE FANS…Wilfried Nancy acknowledges the Celtic support at Fir Park.
“We’ll take the time to see where we can improve, but we need to get ourselves ready for a massive game.
“It’s not for me to sit here and say all the answers, but what I can say is that we do have togetherness as a unit and as a team.
“That’s the most important thing, especially in a period like this. It’s important you don’t become disjointed as team-mates or within the club, or anything like that.
“That’s going to stand us in good stead to try to keep implementing what we’re getting taught and told to do.
“It is crucial that we stick to that, because that’s what you need to do as professionals. That’s what we’ll continue to try and do.”
Ralston has been part of a defence that has shed 15 goals in seven games and have been incapable of a clean sheet as they are regularly picked off by grateful opponents with the players clearly uncomfortable with the manager’s favoured playing formation.
Asked if the new set-up was creating confusion, the 27-year-old defender answered: “No, as a footballer at any club, especially at the highest level, you need to adapt to a change of system.
“Whether that’s personnel, system, whatever it may be, you need to adapt to that.
“You must adapt as a team and as a unit, both defensively and offensively. So I don’t use that as an excuse.
UNDER PRESSURE…Wilfried Nancy cuts a disappointed figure after five losses in seven games.
“Don’t get me wrong, it comes with its challenges. We don’t have the normal time you maybe would have in pre-season, but that’s the game, changes happen and you need to deal with it.
“We need to stop conceding goals, we know that.
“Whether that’s down to change of shape or whatever, we need to sort that out.
“There’s not an acceptance of losing games, especially at a club such as Celtic.
“So that needs to change and quickly.”
* THE CQN team would like to wish all our readers the very best for the New Year and we look forward to an award-winning 2026!
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