The standard we now dare aspire to

Consider this: with Celtic certainties to win the league, they have now been given three consecutive home Scottish Cup games, against Brechin, Partick and Morton, on the road to perhaps becoming the first club to retain the treble in Scottish football history. For so many years home cup draws were as elusive as the outcome to SFA review results into Rangers Uefa licence in 2011, but here we are.

The big picture from the weekend: Despite things still being far from flowing on the park, I’m delighted with the win over Partick Thistle. Of the two cup games this week, the Thistle game was the most important. An aggregate win over Zenit would flood more euros into the Celtic Park coffers, but progress of (perhaps only) one more round in the Europa League will be forgotten long before the outcome of this season’s Scottish Cup.

In his first five seasons in charge, Jock Stein won five league titles and five League Cups, losing three Scottish Cup games during that period. This is the standard we now dare aspire to.