All eyes will be on Hampden Park on Sunday as Celtic and Rangers battle it out for a place in the Scottish League Cup final.
Both teams have new managers, but at different ends of the age bracket, with Celtic’s 73-year-old Martin O’Neill serving as caretaker manager, and Rangers’ new manager, 36-year-old Danny Rolle, preparing for his first Old Firm stint.
Last season, when the two clubs met in the League Cup, Celtic won on penalties after a dramatic 3-3 draw in extra time at Hampden Park, resulting in a frenetic final.
There are so many storylines in Sunday’s game, so here’s our take on the two Glasgow giants.
O’Neill’s Old Firm experience
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Celtic interim manager Martin O’Neill reflects on his debut in his old club’s dugout 25 years ago
Celtic interim manager O’Neill will be aiming to preside over another big win against Rangers – 25 years since his Old Firm debut paved the way for seismic shifts in Scottish football.
O’Neill stunned Dick Advocaat’s side with doubles from Chris Sutton and Henrik Larsson to secure a 6-2 victory in Scotland’s biggest club match.
Despite losing 5-1 at Ibrox in their next league game against Rangers, Celtic went on to win the treble and almost never looked back.
Celtic, who won only three major trophies in the 1990s, have won 25 titles and 19 of their 23 cup competitions since O’Neill took over.
Reflecting on the game, which was dubbed the “demolition derby” by Celtic fans, O’Neill said: “Well, scoring six goals against that team might be very difficult to repeat. If we can do that, we’ll settle for a really poor 1-0 win.”
“Obviously it’s a fond memory. It was great and it really gave us a springboard for that season because Rangers ripped us apart at Ibrox in November, but I think we had enough confidence that we could withstand that and I think that’s what happened.”
“Some young people come up and say, ‘That was a great game,’ but they weren’t even born yet. They tell me their grandfathers and fathers talked about it.
“It was a very important game for us, not just for that season, but probably for the rest of our lives.”
“The current situation makes this an even bigger, older company.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of Martin O’Neill’s interim return to the Parkhead dugout to lead Celtic to a 4-0 win over Falkirk
Since then, Celtic fans have endured just three lean seasons, one of which coincided with a run to the UEFA Cup final under O’Neill.
While their current grievances center more on the board than on-field issues, the former Republic of Ireland manager is aware that victory at Hampden could have long-term implications.
“This is an important game for us,” he said. “Really, don’t gloss over it at all. It’s a semi-final and it’s a big game for us. Any game between Celtic and Rangers is a big game, but especially given the circumstances of the last few days, if not weeks, absolutely.”
O’Neill feels he has no small investment in the game after resuming a managerial career that seemed to end when he left Nottingham Forest in 2019.
Speaking about his feelings when he played his first derby game, he said: “I was nervous about 72 hours ago, but once the results came out, I felt a huge sense of relief.
“I think the great Walter Smith said it well about this game. There was a sense of relief more than anything. But it was a really great game. It’s still a great game.”
When asked if he felt different this time, he replied: “Not at all. No, it’s even worse.
“I think by the time we played Rangers we had played five or six games, so we knew the players well at that stage.
“That’s something I don’t know about our players. We learned a lot in the Falkirk game, which was great for us. It’s a return to confidence. So we’re going to go into this game with that confidence and that’s the most important thing.”
“For me, it was very nerve-wracking to look at a young face and try to put it into context, almost anything.
“Even if I was here for a month or so, it would be really hard to assess exactly what the players are capable of.”
Roll’s ‘respect’ for O’Neill
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Danny Rolle admits it’s ‘all or nothing’ as he prepares for his first Old Firm stint as Rangers head coach
Rangers head coach Rohr tipped his hat to O’Neill’s longevity as he prepares to face the 73-year-old interim Celtic manager.
In his first Europa League role since taking over from Russell Martin, Roll lost 3-0 away to Brann, but won consecutive league games against Kilmarnock and Hibernian.
The former Sheffield Wednesday manager will have to find a way to outwit the experienced O’Neill, who won 16 of 27 Glasgow derbies and drew three during his successful spell at Celtic between 2000 and 2005, at Hampden Park in his first Old Firm game.
“I have a lot of respect for the career of a coach like this,” said Rolle, who will be without suspended midfielder Connor Barron.
“I think it’s always great as a manager to work this long and be successful in this business.
“I’m only at the beginning of my career. There’s a lot of work to do to get to this point, but the good thing is that we start from 0, 0, different generations and let’s see what we can bring to the team in this game.”
“I’m very excited. I have some experience, but I’m expecting a big, big game on Sunday. It’s all-or-nothing going into a game like this. If you win, you’re in the final, if you lose, you’re out. I think everything is shaping up for a great, great game.”
“This is more than just a game”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of Rangers’ 1-0 win over Hibs to move into third place in the Scottish Premiership
The former Bayern Munich assistant draws on his first-hand experience in derby games.
“I remember when Hansi Flick took over as (Bayern) manager, our second leg was at home against Dortmund and we won 4-0. It’s always encouraging when you win a game like this,” he said.
“Likewise, we participated in the championship at the Steel City Derby. We know what that means to the fans. This is more than just a game.”
Rohr revealed how his side were revitalized after Wednesday night’s hard-fought 1-0 win over Hibs at Easter Road.
He said: “A win would be a big result and I think it would be great to finish off a great week with a third win in a row.”
“And of course we feel it today in the meeting room. We feel it on the field and in the locker room. The positive energy is really big at the moment and the belief is there.
“We watched the game in the morning, and what we did, the effort during the game, the drive, the character, the good structure on the ball, and even in the second half, even though we didn’t necessarily hold onto the ball as much, it didn’t matter because they couldn’t really break our last line and they did a great job.”
