Losing cup semi-final to Rangers was best thing that could have happened to Celtic

AT the time, Celtic’s Hampden heartache would have felt like the end of the world to those of a greenand-white persuasion. But little did they know that defeat to Rangers for Ronny Deila’s side in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup would ultimately usher in the dawn of a bright new era at Parkhead.

It may not have initially seemed that way in April 2016 as Tom Rogic’s decisive spot-kick was blazed high and wide over the bar — allowing Mark Warburton’s resurgent Ibrox side to win the penalty shoot-out after a 2-2 draw.

Parkhead legend Tom Boyd is now in no doubt, however, that his old club were the long-term victors as a result of that darkest day in their campaign.

For without having witnessed such a poor performance in Mount Florida, Celtic’s board of directors may not have pushed the boat out so spectacularly in pursuit of Brendan Rodgers.

And since the former Liverpool boss was recruited as Deila’s successor, Celtic have not only completed one unbeaten domestic Treble but now stand just three matches away from an unprecedented consecutive Trebles.

Ahead of the two teams meeting again in the Scottish Cup semi-final on Sunday, Boyd believes more than ever that losing to Rangers two years ago this month represented a blessing in disguise rather than a curse.

‘We can thank that last cup semi-final game for happening,’ smiled Boyd, who captained Martin O’Neill’s Treble-winning Celtic side in 2000-01.

‘There is always a ray of sunshine when you are depressed. It didn’t feel like it at the time, of course, but the light at the end of the tunnel was always Brendan Rodgers coming in and making the immediate impact that everyone would have dreamed about.’

HE added: ‘It might not have happened had the result gone the other way against Rangers. But the level of consistency since Brendan has arrived is extraordinary.

‘Celtic have only lost two games domestically over the course of two seasons and that is a stunning level of consistency.

‘The levels of professionalism from Brendan and his backroom staff are managing to maintain that level.’

Just last month, however, there were cheers from the Rangers dressing room when the Cup draw paired them with their city rivals in Sunday’s Hampden showdown.

Rangers thought the gap was decreasing. But then a 3-2 defeat to ten-man Celtic in a league encounter at Ibrox cast a long shadow over Graeme Murty’s men.

Hailing Celtic captain Scott Brown as the driving force in the victory, Boyd expects Rangers to suffer a psychological effect from that setback in Govan when the teams meet again at Hampden this weekend.

‘I would hope so,’ said the former Scotland international defender.

‘I certainly don’t think they’ll be as cocky going into that one as they were the last time out.

‘They won’t be cheering about the prospect of facing Celtic this weekend like they were when the draw was made.

‘I thought Scott Brown produced a real captain’s performance in that win at Ibrox.

‘Other players can talk the talk but Broony does his talking on the park. He’s been fantastic under Brendan Rodgers.

‘People talk — quite rightly — about Kieran Tierney’s consistency but Broony is right up there with him. His level has never dropped in the last two seasons.

‘He’s really flourishing under the current coaching set-up. He’s clearly enjoying his football and probably playing the best football of his career.

‘And I just feel, as long as Celtic turn up on Sunday, they have a great chance of going through to the Scottish Cup final.’

Celtic will be hoping to make it ten Old Firm games in a row without defeat... but Boyd well remembers when the boot was on the other foot.

From September 1995, Rangers went nine Old Firm games without losing to Celtic.

That run ended in a Scottish Cup quarter-final at Parkhead in March 1997 when goals from Malky Mackay and Paolo di Canio secured a 2-0 victory for Celtic.

Similarly, Boyd believes a cup match may make Celtic more vulnerable to losing their long unbeaten record in the Old Firm fixture.

‘I actually never played in that cup game — that might be why we won,’ grinned Boyd.

‘Over the period of a league campaign, you can rectify any mistakes you might make along the way. But you can’t in a cup game. You need to perform.

‘Cup games are harder to win for that reason. Right now, Celtic have strength in depth and you’d expect them to win the league because of the quality they have.

‘They can make up for defeats to Hearts and Kilmarnock, but you can’t do that in the cups. There’s no margin for error.’

Simon Donnelly is another veteran of those Old Firm games in the bleak 1990s for Celtic.

When he watched Rodgers’ ten men win at Ibrox last month following Jozo Simunovic’s dismissal, it felt like the roles had been reversed from his time at Parkhead.

‘Celtic managed the game last month like champions. They did really well,’ said Donnelly.

‘Back in the 1990s, when Rangers had a hold over us, it didn’t take a lot to dent our confidence.

‘How many times did a Celtic side back then play well but then Rangers would go up the park and score? You’d be left thinking: “Here we go again!” But it looked like that’s what happened to Rangers at Ibrox in the 3-2 game last month.

‘They were pegged back twice, the second time the equaliser came right on half-time.

‘They would be asking themselves: “How do we beat this team? They are behaving like champions”.’

Indeed, Donnelly believes the current chasm is so great that nobody in the Rangers team would make it into Rodgers’ starting line-up.

‘I don’t think so,’ he said. ‘You could argue the right-back James Tavernier has been decent this season. But I still wouldn’t swap anybody in Celtic’s team.

‘They are winners at the moment. Until somebody knocks them off their perch, I wouldn’t swap any of them.’