HIBS HOARD 10k UNSOLD TICKETS
Celtic fury over empty seats as rivals sell only half their semi-final briefs
SEETHING Celtic are embroiled in a row with semi-final rivals Hibs over unsold tickets that could see 10,000 empty seats at Hampden today.
The Easter Road side demanded a 50-50 split of the briefs with each club then allocated 20,000 tickets for the Betfred Cup clash.
Record Sport understands Celtic were given assurances by Hibs they would shift their entire quota but they have only sold half of that
IT has been months since Moussa Dembele was Celtic’s big noise.
A recurring hamstring injury has turned down the volume over the striker’s soaring valuation after he ripped up the Premiership last season.
Sporadic appearances so far this term have brought just one goal and headlines that screamed of moves to Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid have been replaced by a hush.
But Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers insists he has been careful to keep the lines of communication open with a youngster who has been physically and mentally nursed back to health.
He said: “Silence is a death sentence for a player. You can’t not talk to him.
“If you live your life as a player and there is no communication, then you get in your car after training and your agent calls. It will be, ‘Are you playing? Why not?’
“Then you go home and your family is asking. It becomes a circus. Communication stabilises emotion and you are always trying to do that with a squad. He’ll get opportunities as the season pans out.
“It’s about recognising where Moussa is at. He is a top talent, a fantastic player, and it’s about communication with him.
“But Moussa gets it. That has always been my feeling with him. He knows how good a player he is but he’s also been humble with it.
“He respects where the team is at and knows he has to fight and work to get in there. That’s football. It’s not always an upward curve.
“He has been unfortunate with injuries but his understanding of why he’s not in the team is important. He needs to know why.”
By this time last season the 21-year-old was 13 goals to the good on his way to a 32 tally that was racked up by March and threatened to rewrite the scoring record books.
A couple of recent cameo appearances included being thrown on in Munich during Wednesday’s Champions League humbling by Bayern but the scene is being set for a start against Hibs in this afternoon’s Betfred Cup semi-final.
Rodgers wouldn’t confirm anything more than Dembele is ready for the call but it also came with the caveat that ousting Leigh Griffiths would be no mean feat.
He said: “I do see signs that he’s getting back to where he was last season and I’ve told him that over the last week.
“With Moussa, you notice it in his running.
“When he came on against Dundee his mobility and running ability was there. It was the same in his half hour against Bayern.
“He is going to be really prominent for us in the next number of weeks. I had to ease him back in after the injuries but it’s also how well the team and Leigh have been doing. He has played very well and you must respect that.
“My job is to try and manage that situation. If Leigh needs a rest or a
breather, and Moussa plays, then it’s my job to decide that.
“It’s very much role reversal from this time last season. Do they like that competition? I’m not sure. They are both good lads and Leigh has been great since he came back from his calf injury. But all strikers want to play and score goals.”
It’s now 59 domestic unbeaten games for the champions as they attempt to book another Hampden final appearance with a win over Neil Lennon’s side.
Rodgers is more than aware Celts will come a cropper eventually but it hasn’t entered his head that it’ll happen any time soon.
He said: “You foster a certain mentality when you win and, when you continually win, it gives you the confidence to keep on that path.
“After the Champions League games last season they had the mentality to go again and play well. It shows the incredible achievement the players have had but it is not something we overly concentrate on.
“After we had got to the 27th, I spoke to the players about the challenge of not mentally relaxing. That’s not something they do anyway but I said, ‘Let’s now set a standard here that goes beyond where we are at.’
“For the next team that wants to break it, because eventually it will go, make it as difficult as you possibly can.”
Recovering from the defeat in Munich and the short turnaround to get his players ready for the Hampden challenge is a test that Rodgers insists Celtic should relish.
He said: “There are physical and psychological challenges but it’s my job to prepare the players, keep them fresh and make sure the message is different.
“We lost the other night to an incredible opponent, there is no shame in that. We will find ways to be better. We want to be better at that level but 15 or 16 months ago our challenge was to get into the Champions League.
“Now there is disappointment to lose away to Bayern Munich. It’s a challenge but that’s the beauty of it. It’s brilliant.”
Moussa gets it. He respects where the team is at and knows he has to fight to get in there RODGERS