Celtic blitz and then snooze their way to League Cup final

Great start…especially from Commons

Congratulations to Aberdeen for winning the League Cup semi-final and booking a place against Motherwell or Rangers in March.

Okay, now for all you readers that aren’t Craig Brown, Celtic blew the Dons away with a show of finishing that the Dons could not compete with. Yes, Aberdeen will look back at this game and wonder how they missed so many chances but with Celtic being 4-0 up on 40 minutes, it was always likely that Aberdeen would be the more fired up team in the second half.

Craig Brown had a bad habit of claiming bizarre moral victories when he was Scotland boss and it appears nothing has changed now he is at Aberdeen. Perhaps it is a tactic of his to take the heat off his players and keep them upbeat, if so, fair enough, he is long enough in the tooth to know what he wants to do but in reality Craig, Aberdeen froze on the big occasion and Celtic took full advantage.

Kris Commons got his Celtic career off to a wonderful start by flighting the ball into the top corner on 5 minutes with a goal that would have had any Rangers fans listening in or watching online raging. Yes, Craig Brown can say he never meant it but what a way to get your career at a new club up and running.

Commons was involved in the next two Celtic goals as his corners caused mayhem in the Aberdeen box with Mulgrew and Rogne taking advantage to nab headers. Celtic were 3-0 up on 20 minutes and there were a good few Aberdeen fans heading for the exit. £20 for 20 minutes isn’t that great a deal but clearly they had no belief in their teams ability to pull it back.

The Dons had already missed chances by this point, including a strike which rolled onto the post but lets not forget that Scott Brown came close a couple of times and Celtic had also struck the woodwork.

When Young needlessly handled in the box, Anthony Stokes sent Jamie Langfield the wrong way and finished the game before half-time. Yes, the two teams had to come out and play for a further 45 minutes but Celtic sat a lot deeper and played the game out almost like a training exercise.

Aberdeen got the goal that their attacking play merited when Scott Vernon nodded home and there were other chances, including two squandered after the ball had been dribbled around Forster in goals for Celtic. However, lets not forget that the last half an hour was played out with Celtic having two full-backs in the centre of their defence.

So…the Dandy Dons fans have their Glasgow excitement deflated again but Tuesday night gives a quick chance to rally against Celtic. The nerves that beset the Dons early on are not likely to come again and if Aberdeen can get their shooting boots on, they should be at least celebrating a goal or two.

When Celtic knocked the ball about cleverly, they looked very good and Commons settled in very quickly to the team. The loss of Thomas Rogne with an injury will be a concern for Neil Lennon but may increase the clubs activity before the transfer window shuts on Monday.

These two sides meet again on Tuesday….will Aberdeen bounce back or will Celtic continue on their winning ways (or will it be a draw…)?

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