Steven Thompson: Celtic double-treble would hit a bum note in Scottish game

Too good, too well coached, too experienced and too used to winning. We will get to the Old Firm game in a bit, but for the life of me, if I’m honest, I can’t give Rangers a chance.

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Anyway, there is Aberdeen and Motherwell first up at Hampden, which is a mistake.

I’m a Hampden man. It’s the home of Scottish football and so I find the notion of us moving from there abhorrent. When it’s full, as it will be on Sunday, there is no better place. When it is empty . . . well, that’s Hampden at its worst.

The early kick-off hardly helps given Aberdeen are in the semi and their fans will need be on the road by eight, but at best the ground will be half full and it’s difficult to see it even being that.

The game should have been played at Easter Road. There would have been 20,000 packed into that terrific ground which would have looked better on the television and what an atmosphere it would have been. And fans won’t be the only thing missing on Saturday.

Aberdeen face Motherwell without captain Graeme Shinnie, their best player of this season Kenny McLean, and the squad’s one and only natural right-back Shay Logan, all of whom are suspended.

Now, when talking in the run-up to games, who is and isn’t playing is a topic, but rarely is it a factor. It is now.

I heard Derek McInnes this week say he’d rather talk about players who were going to be involved rather than who would not. Clever move. That’s what I would do.

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But, my goodness, if Derek had been asked which three players he did not want to lose then it would be these three. I’m not sure what he does to replace them. I’d have Aberdeen as favourites with Shinnie, Logan and McLean. Now, I think there’s nothing in it.

Aberdeen could go with three at the back, which would match up with Motherwell, and it’s up to the lads who come in to help their team to reach a final.

I’d put Niall McGinn on a wing and Gary Mackay-Steven on the other. It’s a big pitch and stretching the opposition is key.

As for Motherwell, they are a puzzle to me. I’m still trying to work out if they are having a good season or not.

Sure, they reached the League Cup Final and did well, I thought, against Celtic. And, yes, Louis Moult left in January and that’s 15, maybe 20, goals gone. Big for any team, huge for Motherwell.

But if they lose on Saturday and finish eighth – with St Johnstone breathing down their necks – then is that a good season? I’m not so sure.

Of course, they could beat Celtic and, in fact, Motherwell have given the champions some good games this season and last.

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Let’s get to Sunday and the biggest Old Firm game since the last one and until the next one.

Kenny Miller must start. His experience and record in this fixture demands that. There is also a big case for Andy Halliday to be in Graeme Murty’s Rangers XI, but the old fella’ in that dressing room has to be on the park from the first whistle.

This could be his last game against Celtic in a Rangers jersey and he will give his all and then some.

Rangers are good in attack but need to be cautious. They can’t have the full-backs bombing forward because whoever is either side of Celtic’s striker is going to have a lot of Mount Florida to play with if James Tavernier and Declan John are awol. They can do it. Nothing is impossible. But everyone has got to be on it from first to last and they will need to score twice at least.

But, at the risk of being boring myself, Celtic are going to win. Quite simply, they are a better team.

Okay, they have not been at their best this season. There have been a lot more dropped points and even games they’ve won they haven’t reached their top level – because they haven’t had to be.

Celtic, however, will find their best level against Rangers. And nobody in Scotland can cope with their best level.

The only problem for Brendan Rodgers, and as problems go it’s not the worst, is who to start up front. I’d go with Leigh Griffiths.

Moussa Dembele’s record in these game is ridiculously good; however, I’d go with Griffiths, who looked sharp at Hamilton and is never in a funny mood. He is always keen as mustard.

I have a feeling it’s going to be a Celtic-Aberdeen Scottish Cup Final. My hope is we get two crackers this weekend.