ANGE POSTECOGLOU believes it will be a Cup that cheers at Tannadice tonight.
Celtic will face Dundee United in the Scottish Cup quarter-final as they continue their determined quest for a domestic clean sweep.
And the Hoops boss, who won his first piece of silverware as Parkhead chief six days before Christmas with the team’s 2-1 triumph over Hibs in the Premier Sports League Cup Final, reckons it will be a Tayside treat for the fans on this occasion.
Postecoglou, who has seen his side beat United twice and draw in their previous three league meetings, thinks Tam Courts’ men will have a real go on this occasion with a game in the last-four at Hampden next month as the coveted prize.
UP FOR THE CUP…Ange Postecoglou with the silverware after the Hampden triumph over Hibs in December.
The Hoops gaffer said: “When you get to this time of the year, you see how much a point means to teams and that can be fairly constricting, whereas in Cup competitions you kind of say: ‘Well, let’s just go for it’ – and there is an opportunity there for teams to advance.
“It doesn’t mean that teams are all of a sudden just going to open up, but I just think that whenever the game is 0-0, teams will have a little bit more of a go.”
Postecoglou, speaking to the Daily Record, added: “I think back to the semi-final of the League Cup and the way Hibs tackled Rangers in the first-half and they probably hadn’t played with that freedom all year.
“Being so close to a Cup Final, you can see that teams like that can do it, so we have to be ready for that and make sure we match whatever tempo and intensity there is in the game.
“We are in a good place in terms of the health of the squad and training is really competitive.
OZ-SOME…Tom Rogic gets the show on the road with the opening goal in the 3-0 win at Tannadice in December.
“It’s the most competitive it’s been all season. From the physical perspective and the numbers we are getting back, the players are in a really good space in the way we are working through games.
“Our performances have been fairly stable. They haven’t all been exhilarating, but we haven’t had too much fluctuation.
“All those kind of indicators show me that we are in a good space to finish the season strong. That’s just me sitting here right now and the evidence we will see as we go along.
“Anecdotally and observationally from me without looking at the data, which I do every day anyway, my sense is that our training is at the best level it has been all year, so that is the kind of stuff I look at and you hope that transfers into the game.”
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