The Scottish League Cup final suddenly feels like less of a formality. Rangers’ only regret will be the event, when they once again try to puncture Celtic’s domestic dominance, does not take place on a Thursday evening.
Their performance in holding Tottenham served as the latest example of Rangers excelling in Europe. The consistent problem has been bringing such form back to the Scottish scene. However, the 6-0 trouncing of Kilmarnock and 3-0 win at Ross County before Spurs visited Ibrox suggested maybe, just maybe, Philippe Clement can have the last laugh over his many dissenters.
Rangers could, and arguably should, have beaten Spurs. Focus on them and their woes was understandable; Rangers played with a bravery that felt like a throwback.
Results depict Celtic as an immovable object but there was defensive frailty even during last Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Hibernian. Brendan Rodgers bemoaned bluntness as Dinamo Zagreb scratched out a scoreless home draw with the Scottish champions. Rangers will arrive at Hampden Park with tails up; a situation that will be sufficient for Celtic to know their level of performance is far from immaterial this time.
That the League Cup eluded Rodgers last season was largely forgotten as Celtic recovered from a rocky opening to the campaign. The potential filling of that gap provides motivation. Yet this is also an occasion that must sustain and fulfil Rodgers. Celtic compete week upon week in a desperately noncompetitive environment, meaning even the sense of a meaningful scrap has to appeal.
Celtic are not involved in nearly enough of them, despite regular claims to the contrary. “We never expect just to turn up and it is a formality,” he said. “It is definitely not that, irrespective of form going into a final.”
Rodgers drew breath when asked on Friday about Clement’s assertion that Rangers are clear underdogs on the basis of financial status. This is a perennially thorny subject where the Old Firm are concerned. Clement even irked his own supporters by appearing to raise the white flag. That irritation was doused by the strength of the showing against Spurs.
Rodgers’s defence is that Celtic have “organically” grown as opposed to receiving funding from a wealthy owner or Middle Eastern state. The point is valid, although nobody sensible has ever accused Celtic of building their riches by unsustainable means. It is a simple reality that Celtic powered into a different economic stratosphere than all but one club in Scotland long ago.
This naturally affects how sporting success can be categorised by those outside of Scotland’s bubble. Rodgers will never admit it – indeed, it would be professionally harmful to do so – but Celtic winning domestically is met with shrugs from a wider world. This season, kudos has been earned through generally strong Champions League showings.
Clement erred on two counts. While Celtic’s Champions League involvement on top of existing cash position – they had £77m in the bank even before the £30m sale of Matt O’Riley – makes Rangers look like the poor relation, the scale of spending at Ibrox over the past decade has not actually been the issue. It has routinely been similar to Celtic’s, in fact. Instead, Rangers have wasted relative fortunes on unsuitable players. Clement also has nothing to offer on balance sheet gulfs when Rangers draw with Dundee United or edge past St Johnstone.
Logic suggests Celtic still have too much in the forward areas for a Rangers defence who seem to panic every time they see green and white hoops. If John Souttar, Rangers’ stand-out defensive performer this season, fails to recover from the injury picked up against Spurs then Rodgers must rub his hands.
The Celtic midfield has been an unsettled one; at its best, it is also superior to what Rangers have to offer. Clement has yet to taste Old Firm victory, which is hardly a shocking statistic given relative strength but one which those critics can hit the Belgian with. The manager himself cites player turnover as evidence what transpired last season need not be relevant in this. “It is about this game, with these players,” said the 50-year-old.
Clement will be treated favourably if he tries something different in a bid to trip up Celtic. If he upsets the odds and Rodgers, thereby retaining the League Cup, Clement will have a level of leeway few thought possible even in October. This is a final carrying more intrigue than most.
