Our Rivals Missed Their League Cup Chance. If Celtic Beat The Holders We’ll Win It.

So St Johnstone it was then, and that’s a good draw.

They might be the holders, but most people will see we got the easiest draw that there was to get.

In spite of the events of the weekend, I feel good about the League Cup.

By the time it comes around we’ll be ready.

I wanted the Ibrox club in the draw, because I have been saying since the draw that gave us Raith Rovers was made that their best chance to win the League Cup was to get us at Ibrox early, when we were least prepared, and when they failed to do that I figured that was it.

When next we play against that team of theirs we’ll (hopefully) have near enough a fully fit squad and we’ll have a fully integrated team.

That will make us the favourites.

On the wide open spaces of Hampden and Celtic Park, I think we’ll own them.

But of course, even discussing is to cook rabbits we haven’t caught yet. There is a tough semi-final to navigate, and we would do well not forget that.

St Johnstone’s cup record is excellent. As holders they will fight us tooth and nail for the prize of playing in that final.

We should not assume that this is a walkover.

Far from it. Holders usually always go down swinging.

That we didn’t in either competition last season was all the reason we ever needed to send heads rolling down the Celtic Way.

The reason it’s a good draw is that I’m pretty confident that if we beat the holders we’ll win the tournament.

I couldn’t tell you, and I don’t care, who we would get in the final if we do.

Hibs might have enough to do it, as Gerrard’s team are notorious bottlers.

But they still have the luck of the devil over there … and so you can’t rule that out either.

An all-green Hampden showpiece would be a nice way for Ange to get his hands on some silverware though, but I’ll be feeling optimistic either way.

If we get there. The game is on 20 November, with the final a month later on 19 December.

The next month will be tough; November is always a nightmare.

But if we see off the team with the second best domestic cup record in Scotland in the past decade then I think the League Cup is ours to lose. Win it and we’re off and running, and Ange could be on the way to his own place in the pantheon of great Celtic bosses.

It’s all to play for here, and we’re 90 minutes from that final.

The holders stand in our way.

If you’re going to win things, that’s who you’re going to have to beat.