IN football they say the best form of defence is attack. It’s a philosophy Celtic are taking to heart as they launch a fierce assault on another treble.
Domestically, last season was the campaign to end all campaigns for the Parkhead club. Three trophies were picked up without the merest hint of any other club in Scotland landing a glove on them. Each trophy presentation picture was taken without a scratch in sight.
Add to that the return to the Champions League, you’d think Celtic would struggle to repeat it, let alone top it.
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But the relentless juggernaut that is this Brendan Rodgers team is not prepared to look back, just plough forward, intent on obliterating everything in their way to another momentous campaign.
The Celtic manager himself has spoken about last season being gone. It’s memories consigned to the Parkhead history books, the tale of the 2016/17 Invincibles untouchable.
On Saturday, Rodgers’ team took another great stride to opening a brand new chapter. With their 4-2 victory over Hibernian in the Betfred Cup semi-final, Celtic are now potentially just 90 minutes away from lifting the League Cup again, a piece of silverware they hope will be the first of another special hat-trick.
Yet while many on the outside will speak of the mindset, ability and hunger for this group of players, who are now unbeaten domestically in 60 games, midfielder Callum McGregor has spoken of a desire to not defend what they already have but relive the high of claiming a trio of euphoric trophy victories all over again.
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“We spoke about it at the start of the season and the message was we want to win them again, not just defend them,” said McGregor.
“We want to go out there playing fast, aggressive football and that’s what you need to do to win trophies.
“We showed that especially in the first half against Hibs and when we needed to dig in we showed again we can do that side of it too.
“It was a big thing for us last season to get the first trophy on board because we were playing well and scoring goals, but you want something as a reward for that.
“Winning the Betfred Cup last season gave us that reward, it’s the first trophy of the season and getting it under your belt gives you a great boost.
“So hopefully we can do the same again this time round and kick on again from there.
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“The manager is always stressing this competition is important for us because last year it sent us on a great run.
“The aim this year will be to do exactly the same.”
Hampden has become a happy hunting ground for Celtic under Rodgers. Prior to the arrival of the Northern Irishman, defeats to Rangers, Ross County and Inverness Caley Thistle cast quite an ominous shadow over the national stadium.
Now, it’s nothing but clear blue skies.
There was certainly no sunshine on Leith at the weekend either for Hibs in what was ultimately a comfortable performance by Celtic. A Mikael Lustig double had the Glasgow club 2-0 up at the break, but every time Hibs managed to get a goal – first from the penalty spot through Anthony Stokes and then with Oliver Shaw to make it 3-2 – there was always a feeling Celtic could kick it up a notch. And they did.
“The manager touched on our success at Hampden before the game, we have done well here so there is confidence when we play here,” added McGregor.
“The way we have played in those semi-finals and finals has been very good so we had a good feeling going there on Saturday.
“Had there been a nervousness before? I wasn’t really involved in those ones so I don’t know for sure.
“But you’d have to say that the results maybe suggest that.
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“We can only look at ourselves as a squad and what we’re doing. We feel this is a good place for us to come, play and win things.
“You could see that in the first half because we were two up and cruising and even when things got a bit sticky we responded to that.”
As mentioned above, Celtic are now undefeated in 60 games in Scotland. Wednesday, May 11, 2016 was the last time a domestic side – St Johnstone – forced them to leave the park without at least a point.
Seventeen months on and Celtic’s resilience appears as strong as ever. But, with a clustered run of games coming up, including Wednesday night’s trip to Aberdeen, McGregor refused to be drawn on the prospect of reaching treble figures.
“Going sixty matches unbeaten is a lot of games and we have had a lot of tough tests in that time.
“Hibs here and then the last time we played them are two good examples of that.
“This team has proved it can be resilient when it needs to be and it’s great to have that quality.
Read more: Celtic run is simply the best for Nir Bitton
“All we do is look at the next game, though, because we just want to strive to play well.
“Once you win a game you just look at the next one and try to win that as well.
“Very quickly that has added up to sixty games and then you think back to how tough it has been.
“But we don’t want to give it up, we want to keep stretching it and stretching it as far as it can go.
“Can we get to one hundred? There is a long way to go before that!
“But it’s the old cliche, we just have to take one game at a time and then who knows we might get there in the end.”
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