The reaction from some in the blue half of Glasgow suggested Celtic should have been wearing masks at Hampden as they sneaked off with the League Cup trophy in their swag bag.
A section of Rangers fans felt it was a robbery job, a smash and grab shootout after their side should have won a penalty. It almost got lost amid the fallout that Celtic had also more than contributed to an epic Final and came out on top. That kind of narrative could eat up with some – and used to sprinkle some extra spice on to the next encounter. Any time Celtic feel they have been slighted, they tend to issue major statement slap downs to put the record straight.
Alistair Johnston insists there’s no need to pin any headlines up on the Lennoxtown walls though. The Hoops ace doesn’t need to get wound up any more – as he’s already running hot ahead of Thursday’s latest Old Firm showdown. And Johnston is adamant that how Hampden unfolded means nothing to this Celtic side who are hellbent on starting the New Year the way they finished the old one.
Johnston said: “We are not too focused on past results. As soon as you step out there, you feel the energy, the passion, even in the days leading up to it.
“It doesn’t raise it any more – it’s always at the maximum level of motivation. Whatever happened in previous matches doesn’t weigh too heavily on our minds. I think this team does one of the best jobs I’ve ever seen of putting a previous result behind them, whether it’s positive or negative, and focusing on the next one.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. It would be really easy to get complacent after winning X amount of games on the trot. But every single day the guys show up hungry as ever. That comes down to how the gaffer runs this team.
“We have a squad of close to 30, who are all top players. If you take your foot off the gas, even a little bit, you will have someone nipping at your heels looking to take your spot.
“There’s always that competition and that takes away any complacency, which is important. Everyone is constantly chomping at the bit to get out there. Regardless of previous results, we will be ready for it.”
Johnston’s enthusiasm is understandable. The Canada star was parachuted in to a Celtic debut at Ibrox two years ago – and he hasn’t lost to Rangers ever since. Eleven games, nine wins and just two draws, the action packed full back has become one of the key parts of this fixture. It’s easy to see why – he just gets it.
Johnston said: “Two years ago – it’s gone by in a flash a little bit, when you look back at what has changed personally and as a team. What an amazing two years it has been. What a great challenge is always is going there to get a result. It’s never an easy place to go.
“We know if we go and play our football, enjoy having the ball like we do, then we can go there and get a result. That is exciting as well. It’s one of the biggest matches in world football. It’s one of the reasons you sign here, you want to be playing in these matches.
“It feels more than just 90 minutes chasing a ball – a lot, lot more. It’s bigger than that. I was lucky enough to get dropped into one two year ago and every time I get the chance to get out there and represent this club, you feel how important it is to the supporters and how lucky you are to get the chance to do that.”
Celtic head to Ibrox on the back of a historic 2024 where they incredibly won more trophies than lost games. Johnston said: “Will it be tough to top it? Yeah, probably. But that is what this club is all about. It’s about setting new benchmarks and surpassing them.
“We are still alive in this new Champions League format, and that is something that gives us a lot of excitement going into the first month of 2025. Hopefully we can kick on in the last couple of group stage matches. Again, everything is to play for domestically, with the league and Scottish Cup, which is something we are obviously striving for.
“It really comes down to the DNA of this football club. It’s always about the next one. You don’t really rest on your laurels or the trophies you have won, otherwise you wouldn’t’ be here – you wouldn’t be a good fit.
“There’s constantly been new blood added and that extra drive from the young players coming in. The ones who do stick around and have been here a long time, they live and breath lifting trophies.
“It takes a big player to carry that weight and I feel our leadership has that. You look at guys like Callum McGregor and James Forrest, to play at that level for so long and to still have that drive to want to keep doing it again and again.
“It’s hard for the guys who walk in the door not to feel the same way. When you have that personality and DNA running through the club and the leaders, it sets us up for that hunger and desire to constantly be there.
“It’s like, ‘I want to be the one who has lifted X amount of trophies’. You saw it was James there, becoming tied as the most decorated player. That is unbelievable – this is Celtic Football Club we are talking about. One of the most storied clubs in the world. And one of the current players has tied that record and hopefully we can break it for him.”
But the first target is to break Rangers again.