CELTIC players are preparing for tomorrow night’s crucial Champions League encounter with RB Leipzig at Parkhead with the words of praise from Aberdeen skipper Graeme Shinnie ringing in their ears.
The Dons midfielder and his team-mates were ruthlessly swept aside in the champions’ runaway 6-0 success in the Premier Sports League Cup semi-final at Hampden at the weekend.
The landslide victory was followed by Rangers’ 2-1 win over Motherwell yesterday to set up an all-Glasgow showpiece showdown at the national stadium on Sunday December 15.
The Hoops’ focus is now on the challenge from the Bundesliga club in Europe’s elite tournament, but Shinnie overcame his personal disappointment to endorse the qualities of Brendan Rodgers’ team.
STUNNED…Dons skipper Graeme Shinnie at Hampden.
The Pittodrie club’s onfield leader and his colleagues sampled defeat for the first time in 17 games this season and he said: “This will hurt for a few days, but once you get over it, it’s about moving on and we’re in a strong position in the league.
“We’re annoyed at how we played, but it’s done now and we have to look forward. We have to be more resilient, roll our sleeves up and fight more. It’s a learning curve for everyone.
“We played at Celtic Park and got a draw, but every game is different. If you allow Celtic to be what they can be then Saturday is what happens.
”We just didn’t turn up at all. It wasn’t good enough, Celtic were very good on the day and we weren’t. When you give them that they’ll punish you.
“I felt we didn’t get near them, we didn’t have enough resilience and the goals were really poor. We let them dictate the play and do what they wanted at times.
“If you let them do that they’ll punish you – and they did.”
OVER AND SHOUT…Jimmy Thelin urges his Dons players while Alex Valle and Callum McGregor get on with the game during Celtic’s 6-0 success.
Shinnie, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “Credit it to them, they moved the ball very well and had rotations like they normally do.
“They played really well and when they do that and we don’t play to our full capacity that’s what happens.
”The manner of the goals at key moments in the game, conceding from a set-piece to start with was frustrating. If they cut you open and score with a bit of magic, then fair enough.
“But from a set-piece? We need to be better. Celtic are always going to be up for it so it’s up to us to be that as well.”
The former Scotland international added: “It’s a semi-final at Hampden, so it’s a big game no matter what – both of us want to get to a Final.
“I just felt after the set-piece went in they gained a lot of confidence and we went the opposite way. They strolled it after that.
“That’s disappointing because we wanted to be more resilient. We didn’t make the mark on the game we wanted to. I wouldn’t use tiredness as an excuse, we just weren’t good enough on the day.”
