2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Graeme Young, Ross Pilcher)
The sun is shining over Glasgow's south side but will lightning strike twice for St Johnstone against Celtic at Hampden? Simo Valakari's Saints shock troops stunned the Hoops with a 1-0 win at McDiarmid Park a couple of weeks ago to delay their four-in-a-row Premiership title celebrations. Now the sides lock horns again at the National Stadium with a place in the Scottish Cup final up for grabs against Aberdeen, who defeated nine-man Hearts after extra time, on Saturday. Celtic are chasing a Treble while St Johnstone are looking to take the trophy they have won twice in the last 11 years back to Perth.
Brendan Rodgers will be wary of the top flight bottom dogs after that recent defeat as it serves as a warning of what they are capable of despite their league position. Rodgers has never lost in this competition during two spells as Celtic boss and will be out to add it to his glittering Parkhead managerial CV. A routine win is expected in the eyes of the bookies but could we be in for another seismic shock? Find out as we bring you all the action in our LIVE blog.
Hampden now a Hoops home from home - Rodgers Brendan Rodgers says Celtic now always head to Hampden feeling they will win and won’t hand out any more gifts to St Johnstone. The manager took charge for his first spell at a time when the club had suffered some serious shocks and setbacks at the National Stadium. But Rodgers changed all of that and, remarkably, has never lost a tie at the venue in his two spells in Glasgow as Celtic virtually own the patch.
The Hoops boss says the mindset has altered dramatically. You have to perform well. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is.
We got through last year on penalties and went on and won it. It’s never just plain sailing all the way through. But what I’m really happy about is when I came here in 2016, there was always a wee bit of trepidation.
Celtic went through a period where it was difficult both in semi-finals and finals. We sit here today, now arrived as a football club, and the feeling that we will win. Whether you do or not, the mentality is that we have a feeling that we can go there and perform.
That’s a mindset that is now with everyone at the club, with players, with supporters, and then you go and deliver, and that’s the plan. The experience clearly helps you because you know what it takes to deliver. A lot of players here, they are winners and they understand it, and it’s up to us to help those guys coming through this phase for the first time.
Like I said, that feeling now, the feeling is that we can win, we will win, we want to win. That’s a different mindset altogether. It doesn’t guarantee you anything because you still have to do the work.
But it’s much better going there, feeling that you can tip the scales more your way than not. That just comes from that winning mentality, that feeling, that culture that you create. Then go on and really owning the pitch at Hampden.
That’s what, in my time here in the main, we’ve done, both in semi-finals and finals. There have been some of them very, very difficult. But that edge that you can have through winning there can help you, hopefully.
Very excited. Our motivation is to arrive into the final. We’re off the back of a very good performance and result.
Valakari wants to repeat recipe for Celtic shock Simo Valakari is adamant that his side can stun Celtic again. The St Johnstone boss insists they will take confidence from their Premiership victory - and wants his players to take that into Hampden. From our point of view, many people have said that it’s not possible to do it two times in a row, but I see it the other way around.
Because let’s say last match we played them here, we would have lost by three, four or five and they would have battered us. We would have been sitting this week thinking ‘what can we do? How can we come out with something different?’. Now we have played a very good performance and we got the result so we know what we need to do.
As I said, Celtic will be ready so we need to play better than we played this last match. But it gives us the confidence that it’s possible. It’s almost like a free hit.
If we lose, it doesn’t affect the league. If we win, it can have massive consequences. Fancy stat Celtic and St Johnstone have won eight of the last eleven Scottish Cup finals between them.
The Hoops have obviously won the majority of those with six triumphs and the Saints winning two. Hibs, Inverness and Rangers won the other three. Good afternoon Hello and welcome to the second of the two Scottish Cup semi finals as we find out who will join Aberdeen at Hampden next month.
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