Celtic lift their seventh League Cup in nine years but who was the standout performer for you?
KEITH JACKSON: Kyogo stole the limelight with his two goals but it was in midfield where Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate took an ugly game by the scruff of the neck. McGregor, as usual, was Celtic’s main man.
CRAIG SWAN: Celtic had excellent performers across the pitch. Kyogo has to take the accolades, but the midfield trio got control of the game and unsung heroes such as Alistair Johnston shone.
FRASER WILSON: Kyogo’s instincts were key but, as is so often the case, captain marvel Callum McGregor was the driving force. The way he manages to combine bravery on the ball with aggression in the tackle while emptying the tank is true captain material.
What does the cup final tell us about the gulf that still exists between the rivals?
KEITH: Not much. Neither of them played anywhere near their best in a contest which was strewn with errors.
CRAIG: Postecoglou has had longer than Beale to get things into shape the way he wants. It’s not so much a gulf as a gap, but Celtic are still a good bit ahead.
FRASER: That despite some noises coming out the Rangers camp the gap is still pretty substantial. Celtic have the edge in terms of a defensive unit, are stronger in midfield and more potent up front. Michael Beale needs a strong summer window to turn that around.
Fashion Sakala missed a glorious chance to equalise at 1-0 - how big a moment was that and will Rangers have regrets?
KEITH: Sakala’s miss was just another example of a match which was riddled with mistakes. Rangers biggest regret will be Michael Beale’s decision to leave Nicolas Raskin on the bench for more than an hour even though his midfield was malfunctioning from the start.
CRAIG: It was, of course, a massive moment. Huge matches hinge on those big moments. Rangers will have regrets they didn’t get going until too late.
FRASER: It was huge given that Celtic doubled their lead five minutes later. Sakala more than anyone will have regrets after that combined with his pre-match trash talk. But overall Rangers must ask themselves why they failed to turn up for an hour.
Do you see anything stopping Celtic going on to lift the Treble now?
KEITH: The league is as good as in the bag but Celtic will almost certainly have to get past Rangers in the Scottish Cup to get their hands on the whole set. And that could be a toss of a coin job judging by yesterday’s final.
CRAIG : Not if they turn up and their big players play as they can. They are best team and will win it if they perform to their levels.
FRASER: Never say never in cup football. But this was the acid test of this Rangers side and Celtic proved they are too strong on their day. A nine-point gap in the Premiership won’t be turned round at this stage and I’d fancy the Hoops to complete a clean sweep this time round.
