The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Dress rehearsal is over: Now to don Sunday best
If you are going to win a tournament , inevitably you will have to beat Celtic or Rangers. Sometimes both. In these weird, frustrating times, the Dons will next Sunday get the chance they should have got back in April – to beat Celtic and reach another domestic final.
Aberdeen have lost eight of their last 11 match-ups with Celtic and their last four knockout matches against the Hoops. The 1-0 win at Parkhead in May 2018, to seal second place, and the 2-1 win in Glasgow in February 2014 are the last wins in each format.
This is not the Brendan Rodgers Celtic which swept all before them. Albeit they are league and League Cup holders under Neil Lennon, there seem to be pieces missing from the fluent, allconquering Celtic of years past.
Some of that may be down to a renewed challenge from Rangers. The 2- 0 defeat in the Old Firm derby infuriated Celtic supporters. Lennon’s team selection was peculiar, playing Mohammed Elyounoussi and Patryk Klimala up front and thrusting young defender Stephen Welsh into the back line.
He had been hampered by a number of absentees – Ryan Christie, Odsonne Edouard, Nir Bitton and Hatem Abd Elhamed to Covid regulations – but it has not been the usual standards of excellence expected at Parkhead so far.
It is far too early in the season to be writing off Celtic or calling for change, but Aberdeen have to see this as a big opportunity.
Facing the Hoops yesterday gave Derek McInnes and his players the chance to size up their opponents for the first time this season. Their first match- up was cancelled due to both sides having players breaching Covid-19 guidelines. This weekend at Hampden has a little bit extra added to it.
Aberdeen h av e long searched for another trophy under McInnes and 2014 feels like a very long time ago now – the only piece of silverware McInnes has won at Pittodrie.
Many obser vers have pointed out this is the strongest Aberdeen squad there has been in a long time.
Lewis Ferguson, Ross McCrorie, Dylan McGeouch and Funso Ojo give McInnes options for two or three in the middle of the park.
In the forward areas Scott Wright and Ryan Hedges have seized opportunities provided by the absence of others, while Marley Watkins appears an astute acquisition. Add to that Connor McLennan, Niall McGinn, Sam Cosgrove and Ryan Edmondson and you have a number of ways the Dons can hurt Celtic.
Scott McKenna ’s departure could hurt the Dons in the long run but the form of Andy Considine and Tommie Hoban is covering for that. Ash Taylor or Mikey Devlin will play as the third centre-half and in the wing-back positions Jonny Hayes, Greg Leigh, Shay Logan, Ronald Hernandez and Matty Kennedy can all vie for places.
It certainly looks to be the best opportunity in a long time for Aberdeen to topple Celtic.