BUILT FOR THE BIG OCCASIONS
Rodgers puts faith in Bain for cup final after keeper’s Ibrox heroics last season 18
THE sliding doors moment for Scott Bain arrived when another goalkeeper completely lost his footing.
As Celtic prepared to make the trip to face Rangers on March 11, there was nothing to suggest Bain would be viewing proceedings from any other vantage point than the substitutes’ bench.
With Craig Gordon sidelined through injury, Dorus de Vries had reverted to first-team duties. But it wasn’t to be Alfredo Morelos or Daniel Candeias the Dutchman would be cursing that day, it was a loose stone in his garden path.
After it emerged he would be unable to play on account of a rolled ankle, Bain wasn’t so much given a baptism of fire as thrown off the deep end into a pool of molten lava.
By the end of an extraordinary afternoon, he had miraculously thwarted Rangers’ Colombian striker, Odsonne Edouard had scored a winner for the ten men of Celtic and the engraver began to etch the name of the Parkhead club onto the Premiership trophy.
Bain’s display saw him keep the jersey for a further six appearances but, a recent outing at Livingston aside, his taste of first-team action this term has been limited to the Betfred Cup.
Gordon is fit and available for Thursday’s game in Trondheim but will take a back seat when Aberdeen come to Glasgow on Sunday. That day in March confirmed it in Brendan Rodgers’ mind.
‘Scott plays on Sunday — I have no qualms about that,’ said the Parkhead boss.
‘He’s a fantastic goalkeeper. The biggest test you have as a Celtic player is playing away at Ibrox. So if he plays like he does there, then every other game won’t be easy but he will certainly be able to deal with it. Every time he’s played he’s been first-class.
‘It could have been (too big for him) but Scott has a really good temperament and he fits into how we play.
‘He’s calm with it and works really hard. He knows he has the trust of the management and the players, so when he goes into the team he copes very well with it.
‘He’s been brilliant here and has a great mentality. He’s also been very loyal as the support keeper. I see him as an equal.’
At 35, Gordon is hardly ready for the knacker’s yard. But the clock is ticking on his career.
Accordingly, the desire to stockpile silverware is perhaps greater than it has ever been. Solid citizen that he is, he will scarcely welcome playing second fiddle when the first trophy of the season is decided. ‘He can still get one (a medal),’ said Rodgers. ‘He understands where it’s at — and it’s something we spoke about at the start of the season. He knew if I was bringing in a No 2 goalkeeper that I would want him to have some involvement in the cup competitions, so it’s worked out well. ‘He is very supportive, Craig. He’s a brilliant goalkeeper but is very mature in his outlook. ‘He recognises that he also needs a No 2 who is performing to a good level as well.’ The goalkeeping issue, if there was one in Rodgers’ mind, is just one of many in his inbox at the moment. Olivier Ntcham returned to the side who won handsomely at Hamilton on Saturday and will now take some shifting. The same can be said of Callum McGregor and Ryan Christie. James Forrest is in the form of his life on one flank while Scott Sinclair is beginning to turn the clock back on the other. And how can you possibly leave a returning Tom Rogic out of the plans? For Rodgers, the answer is to be found in the blizzard of ten games his side will face in 31 days. ‘It’s nothing new. That’s how it’s been for us — big game after big game,’ he said. ‘We just stay calm and prepare how we prepare. Each game is important for us, so keep them coming.’ This feels like a defining week. One that could see Rodgers’ side take a major step towards qualification for the last 32 of the Europa League and secure a seventh straight domestic trophy. Or finally crack under the pressure. The comfort for Rodgers comes in recent history. Big-game players who have continually delivered on the big occasion. A group who know how to time their runs to perfection. ‘I think there was a wee bit, when I first came in, of apprehension around these games and pressure games,’ he reflected.
‘But we have turned pressure from a negative into a positive. We learned to go and really enjoy these types of occasions.
‘This (Hampden) was a place where everyone seemed sceptical of coming here — the players, supporters and directors — but now Hampden is a place where we can look forward to coming.’
More immediately, a demoralised Rosenborg side look to be there for the taking in Trondheim on Thursday.
The dream scenario is that Salzburg simultaneously take care of Leipzig, but Celtic can only take care of their own business and see how the cookie crumbles.
It would be the most opportune time to record a first-ever win in the Europa League group stage on the road.
‘Yeah? Well, we did that in the Champions League, so let’s see if we can do it here as well,’ said Rodgers.
‘That would be good. It was always going to be a tough group for us. Three out of the four teams in the group are champions — Salzburg, Rosenborg and ourselves — while Leipzig are a top Bundesliga team.’
On Saturday, Mikael Lustig, a former Rosenborg player, expressed his desire to hear Celtic’s intentions over his contract which expires next summer. He seems likely to have his wish of staying in Glasgow granted.
‘Mika has been a great servant for me in my time here,’ said Rodgers.
‘Probably over the course of this winter, which is a busy period, we can sort it out.’
Nor does it seem that Filip Benkovic will be going anywhere soon either. The on-loan Leicester City defender could be recalled in January but all the noises coming out of the English club are that they are unlikely to go down that road.
‘We haven’t had confirmation of that but it would be great for Leicester, for Filip and for us,’ added Rodgers.
Scott Brown has returned to full training after recovering from a hamstring strain but may find Sunday’s final coming too soon.
‘He is back in training and we will assess it as the week goes on,’ said Rodgers. ‘He hasn’t had a lot of game time over a long period now, so we’ll see how he is over the coming days.’