It's always impossible when cup finals come around to resist the temptation to drink up and take a stumble down Memory Lane. Especially when it’s the Old Firm involved in a Hampden shindig.
There’s been so many of these encounters down the years, it’s only natural to dig out the family photo albums and go through some embarrassing pics. It’s been just over three years since the last time the big two got together to square up over a piece of silverware and it’s no surprise to see folk making valid points about the respective squads.
Rangers could field pretty much the same side they did from 2019, with only Joe Aribo no longer at the club from their starting XI, albeit with Filip Helander now injured. There’s likely to be six or seven starters from that epic clash involved on Sunday, with stalwarts such as Allan McGregor, James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos still very much part of the furniture at Ibrox.
There’s already been subtle changes under boss Mick Beale and there will be more this summer. There’s no doubt these next few months will have an end of era feeling around Govan.
But the revolution has already been and gone at Celtic Park. It just shows the scale of the rebuilding job done by Ange Postecoglou that Callum McGregor is likely to be the only Hoops starter in the side on Sunday from 2019. Parkhead punters are loving their side right now but time can do funny things to folk.
That Celtic class of 2019/20 ended up Treble winners – even if the end of the campaign went a little weird, what with the global pandemic and all that. It sometimes gets lost in the wash just how good they were through the autumn and after the winter break, when they left Steven Gerrard’s men in their wake. The point remains though – and the pub debate – which side was better ... or which players from Hampden three years ago would get in the current side?
Neil Lennon’s side triumphed that day with 10 men, Christopher Jullien’s goal doing the job as they hung on thanks to Fraser Forster’s heroics after Jeremie Frimpong was sent off. But the starting XI? Forester; Frimpong; Jullien; Kris Ajer; Jonny Hayes; Scott Brown; McGregor; James Forrest; Ryan Christie; Moi Elyounoussi and Lewis Morgan. Odsonne Edouard was on the bench after coming back from injury.
The failed 10 in a Row bid the following year soured a few options on a lot of those guys but don’t forget this was a Hoops outfit who cleaned up on the home front and topped their Europa League group after beating Lazio home and away. They were a bit tasty.
Forster would probably get the nod in goal – mainly because of his incredible display that day. The big keeper ripped the heart out of Rangers at Hampden and stuck it on his mantelpiece along with his winner’s medal. Frimpong was a cracking wee player and might just nudge out Alastair Johnston for now, as he’s still building his reputation with Celts.
Jullien was decent but he’s not budging Cameron Carter-Vickers but Ajer would just get the nod alongside him. No harm to Hayes but Greg Taylor is nailed on. Then it gets trickier.
There can't be a combined Celtic XI without Scott Brown. No chance. Same for McGregor. The latter would move up and surely Reo Hatate is the third man in the middle.
It’s harsh on Matt O’Riley, Ryan Christie and Aaron Mooy but managers get paid the big bucks to make the big calls (but not kiddie-on ones, unfortunately). Up top, it’s hard to look past the current front three. Jota has to be in, Daizen Maeda has a solid case and Kyogo will be through the middle. If Edouard had started that day we could have had a debate about the last one.
So it’s Forster; Frimpong; Carter-Vickers; Ajer; Taylor; Brown; McGregor; Hatate; Jota; Maeda; Kyogo.
You get the feeling Postecoglou wouldn’t swap any of his stars right now – but he would gladly take the same outcome from 2019.
