Rodgers knows what is at stake at Celtic Park
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has never shied away from the fact that winning the treble was the target for the domestic season.
The champions are one game away from meeting their goal as they prepare to face Aberdeen in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup final.
Saturday’s Hampden clash presents the chance for Celtic to claim their sixth treble in nine years and hat would treble the total tally of domestic clean sweeps that Celtic boasted when Rodgers first arrived at Parkhead in the summer of 2016.
Brendan Rodgers poses with the Scottish Cup.Brendan Rodgers poses with the Scottish Cup.
Brendan Rodgers poses with the Scottish Cup. | SNS Group
“We set out nearly 11 months ago with the objective to win three domestic trophies,” he said. “And we’ve won two. We now have one more game to do the third one. That there, along with our progression in Europe, would end what would be a brilliant season for us. We’re just keeping it simple, refining our ideas this week and look forward to Saturday.”
Having raised the bar of expectation at Celtic Park, and seen Neil Lennon and Ange Postecoglou add to the treble tally themselves, Rodgers embraces the demand for domestic dominance. Explaining what goes into his pre-season presentation, he said: “I present to the players, and they will have their own ideas and goals individually, but really as a team it’s providing a road map for the season.
“From pre-season, what that will look like, and mapping it out on the journey, right the way through to Champions League qualification, through to winning the first trophy of the season, getting to the halfway point, just taking the guys on the journey of what the season could like like, and the various signposts along the way.
That’s why we’re at Celtic
“And on top of that it’s performance driven. We know we want to win, that’s why we’re here, that’s what the expectation is here, what drives us. But there’s a process to that and it’s just really about outlining what that can look like, from June right through to the end of the season.
“At the beginning of the season the challenge is to win every domestic trophy. Add to that all the performance-related goals in terms of goals you want to score, concede.
“Listen, the vision is very clear for a club like ourselves at the beginning of a season. Well, it certainly is now what the expectation is. It’s incredible really how that has transpired to be the norm as such, that you are sitting declaring that the treble is what we want to achieve.¶
Cameron Carter-Vickers trains ahead of Celtic's cup final against Aberdeen.Cameron Carter-Vickers trains ahead of Celtic's cup final against Aberdeen.
Cameron Carter-Vickers trains ahead of Celtic's cup final against Aberdeen. | SNS Group
“But we can’t be frightened of that either. When you are at a club of this size, with this expectation, you can’t be frightened of that. That’s what you want to be able to narrow your focus in. Then when you have done that, you have got to get to work and earn the right to do all the things that you want to do.”¶
Meanwhile, Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers enjoyed watching Postecoglou reintroduce his former club to silverware after discovering the addictive taste of success under the Australian himself.¶
Carter-Vickers watched Postecoglou lead Tottenham to Europa League glory on Wednesday and end a 17-year wait for a trophy. The United States international joined Spurs’ academy at the age of 11, not long after their previous triumph in the League Cup.¶
The centre-back only made five first-team appearances for the Londoners, playing for six clubs on loan before moving to Celtic in 2021 and ultimately signing a permanent deal. He now has the chance to win his 10th major trophy when the Hoops face Aberdeen in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup final on Saturday, having won his first five under Postecoglou.¶
Historic quote
“It’s massive for us to be talking about him getting a trophy and the fans as well,” Carter-Vickers said. “He said he always wins in his second season and he’s done that, so I’m happy for him. That quote will definitely go down in history.
“When he left here, obviously as players we were disappointed. But I think the majority of us enjoyed working with him and wanted the best for him. The Premier League season and his season haven’t been great and obviously that’s something that them and him will have to work on going forward.¶ But for him to get over the line in a cup competition is great for him and does show what he can do.”¶
Ange Postecoglou lifts the Europa League trophy.Ange Postecoglou lifts the Europa League trophy.
Ange Postecoglou lifts the Europa League trophy. | Getty Images
The 27-year-old added: “Once you’ve had that kind of success and won trophies and you have that feeling, you don’t want to let go of it. “Because it’s a feeling that, it’s hard to describe unless you’ve done it. But it’s one that, once you’ve had it, you want to repeat it as much as possible.”
¶Carter-Vickers has the chance to win his second treble and he will feel an edge when he goes into Saturday’s Hampden clash. “Cup games are always different,” he said. “Whether that is early on in the cup or later on in the cup, you go into every kind of cup game knowing that you perform bad, you’re out. That’s your chance gone.¶
“So I think every kind of cup game you carry a bit of nerves going into them. But you’re not nervous to the point where you can’t think or can’t perform.But you must want that little bit of nerves there because that does kind of push you on and get you up for the game. It’s just going in there, having a clear mindset and playing the game, not necessarily the occasion.”