Celtic v Rangers II: This time it's relevant

Last year's final did not live up to the hype. Picture: John Devlin

Of course, we of the other 40 had long been vindicated in our dismissal of the established narrative. Crowds were supposed to plummet. They did not. Financial hardship was going to throttle the life out of “provincial” clubs. It did not. Scottish football was going to miss Celtic v Rangers. While there is no doubt that the top tier league title, at least until the current season, has lacked any sort of drama, cup competitions have become much more competitive, and fans outside Ibrox and, if they’re honest with themselves, Celtic Park have rather enjoyed this break from the norm.

Naturally, this counter-argument was largely ignored in the build up to the game, a hype which grew in intensity over the course of two months. Starved of a sure-fire way to sell newspapers and generate guaranteed traffic on websites, the Scottish football press rightly jumped all over the fixture, bringing out a procession of former favourites and battle-scarred veterans of past derbies to give their take.

When it was all said and done we were left with the confirmation of what we’d known all along. That underneath the heavily applied make-up and attempts to conceal the unwanted truth, this was not the match anyone longed to see. There was only ever going to be one winner, and those who entertained thoughts of the contrary were either kidding themselves or hoping for a miracle. Keep your talk of it being a “great spectacle”. Football is only entertaining when it’s competitive.

Those from the green side of Glasgow did their best to feed the hype. John Hartson even stated that there would be no coming back for Ronny Deila if he lost the match. While that’s almost certainly true of next month’s fixture, last year it was an odd thing to say. Celtic were in the midst of their best run under the Norwegian, having won 16 of their previous 18 domestic fixtures prior to the match.

Rangers, meanwhile, were a complete mess both on the field and in the boardroom. As bad as things had been under Ally McCoist in the few months prior to his exit into gardening leave, they were a whole lot worse under Kenny McDowall. The caretaker boss was a lame duck coach but without the successor in the pipeline. Many wondered if anyone worthy even wanted the role under the hapless regime controlled by a distant puppet master in Mike Ashley.

For those without an emotional attachment to either side, the only interest lay in a sort of morbid curiosity. However, much to the consternation of some Celtic fans and those who backed such a scenario, Deila’s side did not hand out a complete hammering to their rivals. Instead, they delivered a couple of early knock-downs then danced around for the remainder, keeping Rangers well beyond arm’s length.

Some have rolled their eyes at the tedium starting all over again. And while there’s no doubt the hype will go into overdrive on this occasion, at least we should be granted an entertaining and highly competitive contest at the end of it.

There is little doubt Mark Warburton’s side have a good chance of causing an upset, if you can even call it that. Rangers and Hibs, combined, have now played 10 games against top flight opposition this season, with Rangers’ humbling at the hands of St Johnstone back in September being the only defeat. That night Michael O’Halloran exposed a fatal flaw in the attacking system of the Championship league leaders. Even though Warburton insisted they wouldn’t be changing their style, they’ve since reined in their expansiveness and now play with less naivety and more solidity on the defensive end. Their development all over the park was highlighted in Saturday’s comprehensive 4-0 victory over Dundee.

The fact Celtic drew with an under-strength Dundee just three days prior has fuelled belief relating to Rangers winning the semi-final. However, taking isolated games and applying them to such arguments is a strand of logic that goes back to our playgrounds days. As Celtic supporters have rightly pointed out, Rangers drew with Greenock Morton in a home match earlier this season, the same second tier side Deila’s side tore apart in one half yesterday.

The Premiership leaders are still considered favourites and rightly so. The most disappointing Celtic team since Tony Mowbray’s stewardship it may be, but they’re still the strongest side in the country regardless of the heightened parity which currently exists. And, in Leigh Griffiths, they’ll have Scottish football’s best player when the two sides go head-to-head.

Celtic fans are torn on the fixture. Immediately after the announcement, this writer checked his Twitter account to see two short yet vastly differing tweets from a pair of Celtic fans. One came immediately after the other. The first read “Get in!” while the second simply said “F***”. The lack of confidence, bravado, style or verve within the Parkhead squad makes them a vulnerable target. However, by the same token, the intensity surrounding the fixture may be enough to wake them from their slumber.

Anything less than the double will surely see Ronny Deila sacked. Even if he does achieve that goal, he may not make it past the summer. A comfortable victory over a highly touted Rangers side, on the other hand, may be enough for the board to grant him one last reprieve.

For Mark Warburton, it would be enough to take him close to legend status after only 10 months in the job.

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