Sunday Mail (UK)

End Celts’ strangleho­ld

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Whether you’re a fan of Motherwell or not make sure you watch the club’s inspiring online video ahead of the Betfred Cup Final.

Ir respective of where your allegiance­s lie you can’t fail to be moved by it. None more so than the 14 players Steve Robinson will trust on the Hampden pitch today.

Their steel- making history, Ravenscrai­g, Phil O’Donnell and that 1991 Scottish Cup triumph.

It’s a brilliant piece of work and Robinson could do worse than play it in the dressing room just before 3pm this afternoon.

But the Lanarkshir­e side aren’t just playing for themselves, their manager, their supporters and their town today.

They’re doing it for Scottish football as a whole.

Victory for the underdogs against the Premiershi­p champions would give our game a shot in the arm.

At the very least it would provide it with a welcome shred of unpredicta­bility.

And that’s not to dec r y any thing Brendan Rodgers or Celtic have achieved in the time he has been in charge. Far from it.

The Northern Irishman has been a breath of fresh air here. He has lifted his own team to new heights and their style of play has been a joy to watch.

But a shock Motherwell victory today – and an illustrati­on of how this Hoops team can be breached – would be terrific for the Scottish game’s image.

Celtic’s dominance is great for Rodgers and the club’s supporters. And at the moment only a fool would bet against them going through a second consecutiv­e campaign unbeaten and invincible­s again.

But whether you like it or not if that scenario plays out it will be embarrassi­ng for every other side in the country.

And as for Scottish football ’s general reputation? It would be at an all-time low if no other club can beat Celtic in 90 minutes over the course of two seasons.

It wouldn’t be Rodgers’ or anyone at Parkhead’s fault. And it’s not their job to worry about the state of the game or the opposition they’re facing.

But a gulf in class of that magnitude between Celtic and everyone else should have the rest of the league – particular­ly the likes of Rangers, Aberdeen and Hearts – feeling ashamed.

It would be ridiculous if at no point in a one- off game over two years a Scottish team couldn’t get the better of Rodgers’ men.

Very few have even got close, even when Celtic haven’t been at their best.

In fact you get the feeling now most of the top-flight clubs – even the bigger ones – have accepted defeat before they step on to the pitch.

That’s credit to the aura Rodgers has built around the Parkhead outfit.

But come on. On this 64- game charge no Premiershi­p coach or team has shown enough tactical nous or resilience to keep a clean sheet against Celtic.

Surely the first step to actually beating them.

That’s a damning statistic which should have players in particular taking a serious look in the mirror. And don’t give me this nonsense the gap between Celtic and the rest in Scotland is the same as a PSG or Barcelona to Rodgers’ side. It’s nowhere near it.

The likes of Adrien Rabiot and Marco Veratti are on a different planet to Olivier Ntcham, Callum McGregor or Stuart Armstrong.

But no one can tell me there’s the same disparity in quality between that Celtic trio and the likes of John McGinn, Kenny McLean and Graeme Dorrans in Scotland.

The reality is Celtic haven’t been tested often enough in their own backyard. And that’s why – despite an appreciati­on of Rodgers as a manager – the game up here is getting slaughtere­d elsewhere.

But Motherwell can alter that perception at Hampden today.

Of course Robinson’s men are huge outsiders to lift the trophy. He has cobbled a squad together from clubs like Gateshead and Forest Green Rovers.

On paper they shouldn’t get near Celtic, even after their Champions League exertions in midweek.

But on the grass, they can pose a problem to Rodgers and his players.

Their physical, direct approach – but with a genuine goal threat going forward – is something few Scottish clubs possess.

In Louis Moult they have a potent match winner.

But more importantl­y they have belief. They’ve not experience­d defeat to the Hoops this term so as far as Robinson’s players are concerned the game is there to be won.

That emotional video clip about the club’s history and what victory would mean can only help.

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