Celtic Fan View: Quest for the treble begins again on Sunday

‘Mission Treble’ is in full swing at Celtic Park, that much was confirmed by Brendan Rodgers earlier this week. On Sunday the Hoops are back in action against Albion Rovers in the Scottish Cup following the end of Scotland’s winter break.

The Bhoys spent much of their time off soaking in the sun at a training complex in Dubai with the aim of getting legs rested and minds refreshed for the second half of the campaign. The glamour and beautiful weather of the United Arab Emirates, though, will make way for cold temperatures and rugged playing conditions this weekend but make no mistake, the squad is more than ready to make an assault for the treble and end the 16-year wait for such a momentous achievement.

The players’ attitude, hunger and desire to improve coupled with Rodgers’ drive and search for perfection is the ideal concoction for success and it’s already bearing fruit. They already have the League Cup in the bag- beating Aberdeen emphatically in the final- and are well on course to land another league title while qualification to the Champions League was achieved for the first time since 2013. Domestically they’re still unbeaten, one of just ten European sides still to taste defeat in their respective leagues. Now, all that’s left to win is the Scottish Cup.

It might therefore be easy for the side to take their eye of the ball and ease up on the domestic front as has been the case in previous seasons but instead Rodgers is demanding more and more from his players, insisting that their standards must rise all the time.

During the week he said: “This has been a chance to press the reset button and the message has been very, very simple: We need more and we need to be better. We’ve had a good period, but we want more.” He also added: “If we are going to be better, that means improving our game, improving the levels of our game and to keep pushing.”

The appointment of the Northern Irishman has been something of a masterstroke by club owner Dermot Desmond. Not only did it inject a new sense of optimism among the supporters before the season began but it was a move that suggests Celtic finally want to have a proper medium to long term vision in place. There’s definitely been a feeling that special times would be returning to Paradise with Rodgers at the helm and so far he’s delivering.

The focus, attention to detail and ambition that Rodgers has been referring to this week also makes that clear. This was the best first half of a season that the club has experienced in a number of years but it will not do- Rodgers wants more. And he wants the Scottish Cup which would bring home the treble should the Hoops manage to win the trophy. Too often over the last few years have Celtic failed to capitalise on promising circumstances to win all three domestic trophies, losing in semi-finals and finals of at least one of the cup competitions in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016.

All of those instances were near misses but something seems to have changed particularly psychologically. Celtic are the best team in the country and they’re not only playing like it but they appear to be superior mentally as well, winning crunch encounters and remaining calm when in adversity which proved to be the stumbling blocks for Neil Lennon and Ronny Deila. Not only is there a burning desire on the fans’ behalf to complete the treble this year but it’s a feeling that’s being matched by the players and coaching staff as well.

New signings will only add to the quality and depth that Rodgers has at his disposal while their determination to impress and hold down a place in a winning team will act as an incentive for the rest of the squad to maintain their high performance levels. A squad that’s pushing each other and is mentally and physically ready to overcome everything that’s thrown at them is an exciting prospect and the former Liverpool boss deserves credit for shaping his roster in such a way.

The first test of 2017 is against lower league opposition on an artificial surface so unsurprisingly a scrappy game is expected with some individuals suffering from rustiness after the long break. It will be a challenge in its own way but the Hoops are better prepared this term to clear all the hurdles on route to the treble.