CELTIC have been involved in several dramatic twists and turns amid the turmoil over the last five days.
However, skipper Callum McGregor and his team-mates have the opportunity to respond to the challenge at Hampden tomorrow afternoon.
A place in the Premier Sports League Cup Final next month is up for grabs when they take on Danny Rohl’s Ibrox side in what is certain to be an intriguing last-four match-up.
When the teams met in the first derby of the season in Govan on August 31, Brendan Rodgers and Russell Martin were touchline rivals during a dull scoreless stalemate.
DERBY DEADLOCK…Kasper Schmeichel and Callum McGregor acknowledge the Celtic fans after the goalless draw at Ibrox in August.
Fast forward two months and a couple of days and the nearest either of the ex-bosses will get to the action at the national stadium will be a seat in the stand.
Rohl will be in charge of the Hoops’ foes for only the fourth occasion while Martin O’Neill will be adopting interim manager duties for only the second time after the 4-0 midweek win over Falkirk at Parkhead.
McGregor and Co will be looking to build on a positive result following the fall-out of Rodgers’ shock resignation on Monday that prompted an emergency call to ex-gaffer O’Neill and assistant Shaun Maloney to take over team duties while the process for a long-term successor gets underway.
Discussing the new Bhoys’ dug-out double-act, the champions’ onfield leader said: “They’ve come in with a real positivity and everything that the manager and Shaun have been saying has just been about reminding the players how good they are and what we’ve achieved.
HAMPDEN ROAR…Callum McGregor yells in delight after scoring a penalty-kick in the Premier Sports League Cup Final shoot-out triumph in December last year.
“Some new players have come in, but there’s a real good core of players who have won stuff at this club and staff who have also been a massive part of that.
“So they’ve been really positive and I think you could see that in the bounce from the performance the other night. Now it’s just about continuing that every three days until people are told any different.
“If you’re asking someone to come with that much experience, the manager has been here before and he understands the fabric of the club, and talking about that continuity, it’s Celtic people who really understand the club.
“And Shaun has been amazing. He’s come in and his work ethic is unbelievable. He’s making sure everyone’s okay, the training level was great, so it’s been a really positive bounce and I think we needed that.
“The spell that we were in was a little bit tough for everyone.
“But we got a really good result midweek and now is probably the perfect game.”
McGregor, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “I’ve spoken to most of the players individually and we spoke in the changing room on Tuesday morning. It’s just been constant ever since then.
“I think the biggest thing when there’s change is, can you find some sort of a continuity in that, so myself, James (Forrest), Ali (Johnston) – the boys who are senior players – along with the staff who’ve also been here for a large period of time, everybody’s been looking at them for stability.
HOOP HOOP HOORAY…Callum McGregor leads the Celtic celebrations after Daizen Maeda sinks the trophy-winning penalty-kick in the dramatic shoot-out.
“And I must say that every one of those guys have been amazing, so as much as there has been a little bit of change, the guys who have been there and done it in the building have been really good and really stable, too.”
Focusing on the semi-final showpiece tomorrow, McGregor added: “If you want to get to the Final, you have to beat whoever’s in front of you.
“It’s Rangers this time, so I’m sure the guys will be working really hard to come up with the game-plan.
“Rangers have obviously done a few different things over the past couple of games – they’re also slightly new with a new manager – so I don’t think anyone knows exactly what to expect from the game.
“For sure, though, the players will be super competitive and we can draw on the positive experiences that we’ve had.
“Hopefully, we will do a lot right in the game to get us through to where we want to be, which is the Final.”
