Rangers fans went all Trump during the week wit their Make Rangers Great Again banner before the Spurs thriller.
They got their wish that night. Philippe Clement’s men were great. But Ibrox punters have had enough false dawns. This one needs to be the real deal at Hampden today. There is a sense Celtic want to win the Premier Sports Cup – but Rangers NEED to claim the silverware.
For a whole host of reasons. Clement needs it for a start. The Belgian has come back from the dead in the last fortnight or so. After the dismal draw with Dundee United, the only thing keeping him in a gig was the fact there was no one in a position of authority to hit the ejector button. Clement looked completely condemned but the difference in such a short space of time has been staggering. It wasn’t drug tests needed after the Spurs chasing – it was a DNA test.
It didn’t look like the same men who were staggering around Scottish football for months. Okay, Tottenham were fairly honking and looked like a group who were trying to get their manager the sack.
This wasn’t an Ange Postecoglou team, that’s for sure. Not when they had midfielders plodding around like they were on a Sunday stroll.
There’s no chance his old team will repeat that today. And it’s in that midfield battle ground where this final will be won and lost. The narrative is often about the strikers – the ones who score and the ones who miss.
Or it’s about full-backs and wingers and who comes out on top. There’s a big decision to be made over James Tavernier. The skipper has Old Firm PTSD and might be spared another run in with his nemesis Daizen Maeda.
But on the flip side, Tavernier has been terrific since getting back in the side and was superb against Spurs. He’s probably earned the right to a shot at redemption in this clash.
In reality, though, it’s the heart of the pitch where it really matters and that is where Celtic have dominated in recent times. It’s likely to be Reo Hatate and Paulo Bernardo alongside Callum McGregor, but it won’t be much different if Arne Engels is there. And the big test for Clement is combating it.
Nico Raskin had his best game for Gers the other night and deserves another crack. Mo Diomande also had a stormer but too many Old Firm games have passed him by so it will be interesting if he gets the nod over Connor Barron. Ianis Hagi might be a decent option at No.10 but you suspect he’s not the guy to be sitting on McGregor.
That’s the challenge. Gers need to negate the Hoops midfield while also posing a threat. It’s tricky but Clement is being paid big bucks to figure it out.
And if he doesn’t? It’s the old snakes and ladders routine. He’s climbed up a few in recent weeks but defeat will see him slide back down again.
And another Celtic setback would leave his standing lower than a snakes’ belly again. That’s why it goes back to Rangers needing this. It’s nothing to do with how many trophies either has won historically and all the stuff about being the most successful side in Scotland.
All that matters is who is the most successful now. The Premiership title ain’t going anywhere soon, so silverware is a must for Clement and his club.