There was a collective sigh of relief from the Celtic support when it emerged that Anthony Ralston wasn’t going to start in Sarajevo.
The young full-back – the only right-back currently on our books – was dropped for the Champions League victory with Kristoffer Ajer instead preffered in an unnatural position.
While the news may be good for most Celtic fans, it’s unlikely to have been well received by Ralston. Not starting such a big match when you are quite literally the only option must be extremely damaging to morale.
What makes the snub even more startling is that Ralston had played every friendly prior to the clash. Lennon trusted him right until the moment it really mattered.
Ralston is clearly not the answer for Celtic
Celtic are well known to be on the hunt for a new right-back following the departure of Mikael Lustig among others this summer. That chase had been important before but now it has reached a critical stage.
If we are serious about making it to the group stage of Europe’s premier club competition then action is needed. We must acquire a top quality right-back for the future rounds of the competition.
As for Ralston, it’s difficult to see any future for him at the club. He’s unlikely to ever be first-choice under Lennon who clearly doesn’t trust him. This summer may be the right time for him to move on.
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