Celtic’s 1-0 Betfred Cup Final win over Rangers on Sunday was a tribute to the resilience and will to win that Neil Lennon has ingrained into his side.
Celtic didn’t play well, but were desperate to bring home their 10th domestic trophy in a row and that is exactly what the team, led by a sensational performance from Fraser Forster, did.
The win was notable because of how poorly the Hoops played at times. That is an ominous sign for the rest of Scottish football.
Few other sides would have shown Hoops’ resolve
The win showed that Celtic have more of a will to win that arguably any other team in Scotland. Would any other side who had been dominated in the first-half go on to survive playing the last third of the game with only 1o men? Highly unlikely.
The thing is Celtic actually thrived when reduced to 10 men. The team got stronger, and had played their best football when disadvantaged.
That is testament to the belief that the current Celtic team have. Any obstacle that they face, domestically at least, they can overcome.
Other teams must be fed up with Bhoys dominance
The outcome of the cup final must have been sickening not only to Rangers, but to the rest of Scottish football. Every other club must be getting fed up with Celtic’s domination of the Scottish game. Thankfully Neil Lennon and the Celtic players don’t look like ending the trophy haul anytime soon.
Celtic should be proud of the win against Rangers. Out of the seven cup finals the Hoops have won in the last three years, it was probably the most testing game for a variety of reasons.
The fact it was a first cup final in eight years against Rangers, the pressure, the fact that some key players – Odsonne Edouard – weren’t fit enough to start the game, Celtic could have crumbled.
However, this Celtic team has proved time and time again that it is made of strong stuff. That should a worrying prospect for the rest of Scottish football.
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