Brendan Rodgers says Celtic’s high standards will help cup final preparations

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers stressed their high standards of preparation would stand them in good stead for cup final week.

It will be business as usual for Celtic at their Lennoxtown training complex as they get ready to face Aberdeen in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup final at Hampden on Saturday.

Celtic are looking to clinch their sixth treble in nine years and Rodgers feels their big-game mentality will ensure they remain calm and composed.

“Sometimes people can do lots of different things on it,” he said. “I’ve always, since my first time here, I’ve said to players and staff, every game is a cup final. So you prepare in that way.

“When you do that for every game, then when you do come to finals, you don’t increase the anxiety levels by going to big, plush hotels and taking them away for a week and overthinking.

“No, no, no. Every game is a big game. When you prepare like that, then there’s no drama with it.

“So, really focus, get the players ready physically, mentally over the course of the week and then we’re ready to go from next weekend.”

Aberdeen suffered a blow in the build-up to the game when they lost to Dundee United to slip down to fifth in the William Hill Premiership.

While Celtic were held to a 1-1 draw with St Mirren, they ended the season 17 points clear and with 112 league goals, their second-highest post-war tally.

Five of those goals came against Aberdeen last week but Rodgers stressed that cup finals stand alone.

“We’ve worked so hard right the way through winning two titles and now with the possibility of another one. But it won’t be easy,” he said.

“We’ve had some great performances and results against Aberdeen, but finals are finals.

“I enjoy the occasion, I enjoy the pressures of finals, but we can only really enjoy it if we go in with the right mentality, the right preparation and then we can see where it takes us.”

St Mirren were heading for European qualification when Aberdeen took the lead at Tannadice and were in dream territory when Jonah Ayunga fired them ahead early in the second half at Celtic Park.

But two goals for United ensured Saints were missing out on a second successive European adventure even before James Forrest levelled in stoppage-time to extend his record of scoring for Celtic to 16 consecutive seasons.

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson has raised expectations in Paisley way beyond what they previously were and he will set about trying to build on three consecutive top-six finishes after going unbeaten post split.

“There are always going to be changes at a club the size of ours,” he said. “Unfortunately we can’t give them the longer contracts and money that will keep then with us.

“There will be four or five who move on and we’ll have to replace them.

“We’ll look to get more pace into the team with wingers.

“But we can compete with the top sides in the division, which is an unbelievable thing to be saying.

“We’ve not lost to Rangers (in three games). We’ve beaten Aberdeen three times and haven’t lost to Hibs. That shows a level of performances throughout the season.”