WHO STARES WINS
3
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers (left) is eyeing another trophy success in this Sunday’s Betfred Cup final, but Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes (right) is planning a Hampden shock for the holders
CELTIC have the size, the strength, the reach — and a record to inspire unease among the most well-prepared opponents. Yet Derek McInnes refuses to be cowed. He can’t allow himself to think anything but bold thoughts.
When his Aberdeen team take to the field for the Betfred Cup final at Hampden on Sunday, they will do so believing themselves to be equals to — and potential conquerors of — the most dominant side in Scottish football.
‘We’re playing against a bigger squad, a better squad, a bigger club in Celtic,’ acknowledged McInnes. ‘But we can deliver a bigger performance on the day — and win the trophy.’
Yet the record shows that, since winning the 2014 League Cup by beating Inverness on penalties at Celtic Park, Aberdeen have fallen agonisingly short in their pursuit of silverware.
This is their fourth final under McInnes. But losing both the League and Scottish Cup finals to Celtic in 2016-17 remains a bittersweet sort of achievement.
Aberdeen lost all six encounters with Brendan Rodgers’ team that year and, until winning at Celtic Park late on last season, their record has been one of almost relentless misery whenever the Bhoys move into view.
McInnes smiled when selectively restricting his choice of results to the last two encounters — that 1-0 away victory and a 1-0 reversal in Glasgow earlier this season.
Asked if he was worried about the more long-running trend of Celtic domination, he insisted: ‘I don’t worry, no.
‘I think, in my time as St Johnstone manager, we’ve won at Celtic Park. In my time as Aberdeen manager, we’ve won in the cup there. We’ve won there in the league now. We’ve not beaten Celtic at Hampden — and that’s the next step for us.
‘The last two Celtic games have been decided by the odd goal. What was needed in those games was real concentration on our work defensively, our roles within the team. But there also has to be an emphasis on what we do with the ball, how we get at Celtic and cause them problems.
‘In both games, we got the balance between attacking and defending spot on.
‘We don’t expect to be the favourites against the Old Firm, especially cup finals in Glasgow.
‘But we know we can deliver. Every other club, every other manager in Scotland, every other set of players and fans, would love the opportunity we have this week.’
One of the keys will be containing the threat of Ryan Christie, whose development was greatly helped by spending 18 months — over two loan spells — at Pittodrie.
‘Sometimes, managers can take too much credit for players,’ said McInnes. ‘Ryan deserves the credit. He’s grasped his opportunity at Celtic when it didn’t look like it was coming. He’s in good company with a good squad but he’s doing now what he was doing for me. It’s being recognised more because he’s doing it for Celtic and in Europe.
‘He’s done it for Scotland now, too. I thought he was the best player against Albania.’
Aberdeen will be written off ahead of Sunday, of course. Especially after ‘gifting’ Motherwell three goals in a woeful weekend loss.
McInnes will use that collective disdain to gee his players up.
‘We’re not coming here just to fulfil a fixture,’ he said. ‘A lot of people might see it that way but we certainly don’t.’
As he held court on behalf of the sponsors at Hampden yesterday, he was asked if one trophy felt like enough of a reward for five-and-a-half years at the helm.
‘It’s not enough,’ he said. ‘But I’d rather be in semi-finals and finals than being dumped out and have a team that couldn’t have a go at it.
‘I’m proud of the fact we’ve been to so many semis and finals and been in Europe every year.
‘No other team outwith Celtic has done that in Scotland and I’m proud of this team.
‘The criticism comes when you don’t win them (finals and semis).
‘Any team that plays Celtic at Hampden in a cup final would be regarded as long shots to win it.
‘But we have an opportunity to win it. And if we could win another trophy, then it would be great reward for all the efforts to bridge the gap between us and the Glasgow clubs.’
McInnes, meanwhile, will give Mikey Devlin until Friday to prove his fitness for the final despite the injured defender suffering a setback yesterday.
‘He’s got a chance but it’s conflicting day to day,’ said McInnes. ‘It’s the sort of injury (ankle ligament) that can respond to a heavy load if you can get the tendon moving again. Today hasn’t been such a good day, but he still has plenty of days to get fit.’