STEELMEN BATTERED GERS FAIR & SQUARE
Cadden: Sure, we took Blues to the cleaners ...but Well aren’t dirty
CHRIS Cadden today vowed to silence the snipers who dismissed Motherwell as a dirty team after their explosive Betfred Cup semi-final win over Rangers – by turning on the style against Celtic at Hampden on Sunday.
The fallout to the Steelmen’s epic 2-0 victory over the Gers last month centred on the broken nose which Fabio Cardoso suffered following a second-half challenge by their striker Ryan Bowman.
Even Hoops boss Rodgers was vocal in his condemnation of the Fir Park club’s uncompromising playing style, as well as the referee’s handling of the match, afterwards.
But Cadden feels Motherwell’s bad-boy reputation is unjustified and is confident they can end their opponents’ record-breaking 64 match unbeaten domestic run this weekend playing attractive football.
“We like to play on the front foot and we are physical,” he said. “We got criticised after the Rangers semi-final, but I think if you look at the stats we are sixth for yellow cards in the league, so we aren’t over-physical.
“I didn’t care what people said after the game because all I worried about was making the final. After the game it was all about Rangers and how we made the final because they played badly. On the day I thought we were brilliant and we made them look average.”
Cadden added: “I said before the semi-final against Rangers that we couldn’t go out just to make up the numbers and it is the same again here. We have to perform to the best of our ability. We are going there full of confidence.
“Someone has to beat Celtic, so why can’t it be us? We have beaten Aberdeen and Rangers to get to the final so we are confident we can beat them.
“Rangers still had a good team because they spent a lot of money in the summer. To beat them gave us confidence. We got a wee taste of winning at Hampden and we want that feeling again.
“We are looking at them and thinking: ‘Someone has to beat them!’ They aren’t going to go through their full history without getting beat. Why not us? We can go out there and do it.
“You have to beat everyone at the end of the day. We just took the draws as they come. And I think in every round we have been brilliant. In the Aberdeen and Rangers games we were fantastic. If we go out and play the way we did against them there is no reason why we can’t go out and win.”
Cadden, whose twin brother Nicky plays for Championship club Livingston, grew up in the area supporting Motherwell and was at Hampden when they played in their last final there five years ago.
HIS side was on the losing team that day and he is, with a host of friends and family, due to be among the 13,000-strong Steelmen support, determined the final outcome will be different.
“I like the national stadium,” he said. “I have always loved to play there. Even when I was on loan at Albion Rovers I enjoyed playing Queen’s Park there. It is where Scotland and the big finals get held so I love it.
“I was at the Scottish Cup final in 2011 when we lost 3-0 to Celtic. I was in the Motherwell end when we beat St Johnstone in the semi-final and then for the final.”
“The family are running a bus to the game and they can’t wait for it. My dad has been talking about it all week. My brother Nicky will be there too because he doesn’t have a game.
“When I was wee I used to dream about just playing in one senior game for the club, so to b be i in a cup fi final lib is beyond d my wildest dreams. It will be unbelievable and I can’t wait for it.”
Cadden went to school with Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney – who he will find himself in direct opposition to on Sunday – and is good friends with the Scotland internationalist.
BUT the 21-year-old revealed he will not be getting in touch with his mate until after their teams play each other in the first of three meetings in the space of six days on Sunday.
“I was a year ahead of Kieran at school and through football you get to know each other,” said Cadden. “I played against him in the youth teams. He didn’t get to play for the school team. I always knew he played for Celtic. He is a good mate of mine. He lives around the corner from me. But I won’t be speaking to him before the final that’s for sure.”