Anthony Ralston admits it’s a no ego and no hero mentality that ensures Celtic never stop.
Ange Postecoglou ’s champions once again displayed their enthralling refusal to tolerate setbacks with another sensational last-gasp weekend success which maintained their strong grip at the top of the Premiership. When Dundee United grabbed a second equaliser to cancel out Sead Haksabanovic’s first two goals for Celtic, there were just three minutes left of normal time.
Celtic, at that precarious stage, then just did their usual. They took a deep breath and went again. Two goals from the champions in stoppage time was almost expected. Postecoglou’s mantra rang true again. Ralston has done it himself in the past against Ross County. Liel Abada against United last term. Giorgos Giakoumakis did against St Johnstone last month. As Postecoglou said, it’s not just winners that Celtic score late. On a variety of occasions when games are already won, they keep striving for more and enhance winning scorelines. That additional desire has meaning because it boosts goal difference to such an extent it offers the effect of an extra point when the title is being decided.
This time, it was Kyogo Furuhashi who popped up late to be a matchwinner. Abada wasn’t satisfied with that and added another. Just typical of Celtic’s relentless approach under the Aussie.
It can be anyone of the entire unit who pops up with the goods just when it is needed and, as far as Ralston is concerned, there’s a very simple reason for that. When it was put to him that it can be a different hero every week, he said: “That’s the team spirit we need to have. We are a squad, not just a team of 11 players.
“We have got boys who sometimes don’t even come into the squad and they are there every day in training, so we are a collective and we have success together. It’s not just about one or two people. We’re a club and a squad that is in it together and it was shown again with Kyogo going on and getting the potentially winning goal.
“Things like that, there are not any egos or any sort of heroes. As long as we keep that, we’ll go in the right direction.
“We had three minutes to react in that moment and we did it. And we’ve done it before. And it’s something we’ll need to keep doing because football is always going to challenge you.
“We were challenged in the game and we overcame it. We’ll be challenged again in the future and we’ll need to do the same.
“We always believe. You have seen it before and it is no coincidence. It is part of what we do and it’s how we work as a team. As long as we keep that, we will be fine.”
Saturday was another one of those days where a less-resolute Celtic, on the back of a tough European tie against Real Madrid, could have accepted it wasn’t their day. Leading through Haksabanovic, they were hauled back when VAR sparked a controversial penalty kick decision against Alexandro Bernabei for a completely-accidental handball.
Postecoglou was miffed at the call and it caused a lengthy stoppage. So did another VAR check for a clash between Giakoumakis and Craig Sibbald. So did a check on Celtic’s second and fourth goals. Other delays for injuries did nothing to help Celtic’s flow and tempo.
Dylan Levitt’s freak equaliser for 2-2 was another blow and, given the drive for perfection at Parkhead, the loss of two goals on home soil no matter the circumstances will be cause for analysis. Ralston said: “We’ll look back on it to see where we went wrong. These things happen and it is about how you react.”
The reaction was, as usual, strong and decisive and Ralston, whose flick allowed Kyogo to net, said: “We don’t really see a game as over until it is finished.
“We were aware when the goal went in what we had to do. We’ve been there before and credit to the boys for keeping the right mindset and keeping going until the end.
“I flicked it on at the front post. It is something that we work on in training. It is important I get across the front post just in case the corner is underhit and I’m there.
“It is effective because it is hard to defend that second ball when it gets flicked on with the pace that is on it and Kyogo has done well to get a touch on it. But then we go on and get another one as well and that shows the mentality that, okay, we got potentially a last-minute winner, but we want to keep on going and get as many as we can.”
These things don’t happen by chance. Celtic’s fierce daily training means they can keep going and they are always striving.
Reo Hatate has started 11 straight games, yet peek inside the stadium long after full-time and you’ll see the dedicated young Japanese still jogging laps of the track in his flip flops. One game just finished. Mind already fixed straight onto getting his body spot-on for the next.
For Celtic, that’s Motherwell on Wednesday before a home game against Ross County on Saturday to complete their pre-World Cup schedule. Ralston insists the team is pushing to finish off well before Qatar, but are also already looking beyond the shutdown and being in top form for the mid-December resumption.
He said: “Our aim is to win every game we play. Not just until the World Cup, but after that as well. We’ll get to the World Cup, we will refresh and we will go again after that.”
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