Scottish Cup Final
Leave it all out there
The big day is nearly here. At our heart, most of us football supporters are traditionalists. The last game of the season (wilfully ignoring County v Livi), at Hampden on Saturday at 3pm, Aberdeen versus Celtic. It just feels right.
Some Plugs
I wrote a piece for the Press and Journal on the game and the lessons the Dons can learn from early matches. You can check that out at the link below.
Press and Journal Preview Piece
You may need to create an account to view. There are some nice interviews with former players as part of their coverage as well that are worth a look too so you’ll get more than just my two cents.
And a reminder on the two other pieces I’ve sent out this week:
Here We Go Podcast: Cup Final Preview
Celtic perspective on the Cup Final from James and Alan of the Huddle Breakdown
There’s a lot of detail in all three, which provides a good preview of the match. However, I couldn’t let the biggest game of the season pass without posting something, after all, it’s been quite the first full season for this blog. So this is just a couple of additional thoughts, which are really just me thinking out loud.
The Gameplan
I will be incredibly intrigued to see an hour and fifteen before kick-off, what lineup Jimmy Thelin selects. Last week, I wrote about managers who chop and change versus those with a longer-term philosophy. But I think there’s a middle ground of coaches who adapt to circumstance (we’re still waiting to see on that one for Jimmy), and then there’s also coming up with a specific plan to win a specific match.
When you’re a heavy underdog and you’ve taken a pasting a few times, then you may have to consider adapting your approach to try and win. Because, yes, we all want this three-year project to be successful, but so many things can happen in football that make it hard to get to the final on a repeated basis. We’ve had a bloody good draw this year. At the present rate, these chances only come around every decade.
In his interview on the club website, Thelin said: “We have a clear plan of what we want to do.” Not once but twice.
Then we had this from Kevin Nisbet:
“We know Celtic are a top team, they play the same way, they do the same stuff consistently and that is why they are champions. For us we’ve got a game plan. Obviously, I can’t say too much on it but it’s just up to us to execute that game plan on Saturday. We will do a lot in the training week, leading up to it, and it’s just about us as players to go out and execute it.”
So it does feel a little different than the usual pre-match chatter we get. The question is - what is the game plan?
Would Jimmy change formation? I’ve floated the idea of a 5-3-2. Additional protection at the back. Safety net for the full-backs to go and engage, pace on the break. I just can’t see it. Jimmy and the team will probably stick to the structure they know.
Some positional adjustments? Shayden Morris up top with Nisbet? The much-requested midfield three with Shinnie, Palaversa, and Clarkson, allowing an easier switch into a 4-5-1?
Recover and Counter
In all the links I published above and from everything we’ve seen so far this season, the vibe appears to be that Aberdeen’s best chance of scoring is likely to be from disrupting a Celtic build-up - probably intercepting a pass from one of the centre-backs and then launching a quick counter-attack in transition.
To this point, pace is pretty important to capitalise on Celtic being out of position. For most of the week, I was certain that Morris would not play, but as the game gets closer, I’m starting to have second thoughts. The benefit of Morris is that he is probably the only player who will have a match-up advantage over his Celtic counterpart. We all know how valuable he can be off the bench, but I don’t know if the Dons can afford to keep something up their sleeve. The flip side is Shayden is not as good defensively, and dealing with Celtic’s inverting full-backs, plus leaving Jensen 1on1 with Maeda seems risky.
Keskinen is going to play, and I’m sure McGrath will too. I haven't even thought about Gueye who we’ve talked about before, but certainly has some value, at the very least in both boxes.
Rather you than me, Jimmy.
Brendan
The thing about game plans and creating a tactical advantage is that they don’t last. Maybe it was always the case, but games these days at the top level are just a series of adjustments. Brendan Rodgers has been playing a similar core style of football for as long as I can remember. There’s probably not a scenario he hasn’t faced, and he will have a solution. Some of those will be presented to his team ahead of time, and some they will have experienced before.
It can be as small as a certain player finding a pocket of space for an extra second or two. JJ Bull in the linked Here We Go podcast, mentioned how he often pulls the centre-backs further apart to make the press harder for Aberdeen’s front two. That’s just one example.
So there are two points here. Firstly, if Aberdeen can do something that spooks Celtic for a little bit then they must take advantage. Secondly, they need to be prepared for what Celtic’s likely countermove will be and so on and so forth. It’s a cliche, but it will be a bit of a chess game. We just have to hope (as they say here) that Thelin isn’t playing checkers, because we know Rodgers will be playing chess.
It’s the set-pieces, stupid
But you can just forget everything I just said because the most sophisticated pressing scheme or build-up plan won’t mean a thing if Aberdeen cannot defend a corner.
It’s the counter-attacks, stupid
As above.
Denying shots - siege mentality
Let’s just say the plan goes perfectly and the Dons take an early lead, get to half-time, and avoid an early second-half collapse. Then what? What’s forgotten about the 2-2 draw is that Aberdeen defended for their lives for the latter part of that match. Concentration levels outside of the box were high, and Celtic were restricted to shots from outside the box as much as possible. When it came down to it, players - Nicky Devlin memorably - put their bodies on the line to secure the point.
And let’s not forget about that Swedish coach Jimmy Thelin who used to manage Elfsborg. The counter-attacking kings. Wee refresher below.
Closing Thoughts
I’m going to keep this positive. We all know what we want to avoid.
Reaching the final is about much more than the game. It’s an excuse to watch old victories and relive memories. McKay, McLeish, McGhee, Black, Hewitt, Irvine.
Though there is a big payday on the line in terms of European group stage football, it seems to me the players, coaches, and fans are primarily focused on lifting the trophy and the glory that brings. The way it should be. Just ask Crystal Palace or Bologna, or Spurs supporters.
I remember 1990 in fragments. Perhaps some implanted Blade Runner style memories, but I remember the hot day and playing outside whilst the game was going on. Coming back inside for the penalties. I was just turned five. The point is, I remember it.
For those of you going to the game, safe travels, and enjoy every second, especially those of you taking children to the game. I still recall getting on the bus in Aberlour, 25 years ago, and the first sight of the Hampden turf, many hours later.
It might be wee, but there is a chance. It won’t do any harm to let yourself dream for a few hours.
COYR