Mark Atkinson and Graham Falk discuss the upcoming Scottish Cup semi-finals.
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00:00Hello and welcome back to the Scotsman Football Show ahead of this weekend's Scottish Cup semi-final ties.
00:09I'm joined by Mark Atkinson, sports editor of the Scotsman. How are we doing?
00:13Good, Graeme. How are you?
00:15Getting by. Always looking forward to more football. It seems like a game on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
00:23And that's a good thing.
00:24We're at the business end of the season and it never stops.
00:26I think first and foremost, we've got Aberdeen versus Hearts, which I think, look, I think in years gone by recently, you'll see one of Celtic and one of Rangers at this point.
00:37Unfortunately, sometimes it can be. And, you know, sometimes other people want to see other teams in the tournament or in the competition.
00:43You've got Aberdeen, Hearts this weekend with Rangers obviously going out against Queen's Park earlier, which is actually a really intriguing game.
00:49I think that's quite a hard one to call, isn't it, Mark? How are you seeing it?
00:52Yeah, it is a hard one to call. These two haven't met the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden since 1996, which is quite a long time when you get these two are a couple of the bigger clubs we have in this country.
01:07It's a game I'm looking forward to. I think it'll be quite a nice spectacle.
01:10Lots of Hearts fans going. They've sold out their allocation. Aberdeen, not quite as many.
01:14And it's a real huge match for both teams. I mean, Hearts missed out on top six last weekend.
01:21This is their last chance of getting European football, for starters.
01:25Also their last chance to salvage what I would say has been a pretty underwhelming season.
01:29Neil Critchley came in in October and there's been mild improvement, but he's under quite a lot of pressure because Hearts fans claim that he hasn't won a big game yet.
01:38But the Aberdeen band will be saying, look, we're the top six. We're going for third place.
01:45And they've not lost to Hearts this season under Yemi Tallin.
01:49And I think they go in favourites for this game.
01:53I was lucky enough to watch both Hearts and Aberdeen last weekend in different matches.
01:57And I thought Aberdeen looked like they had more threat going forward.
02:00But Hearts are probably a little bit more solid at the back, which makes it a nice contrast.
02:04I think it'll be a nervy match. Can you imagine those two sets of fans?
02:08There's a lot at stake in this game and I think it will be quite nervy.
02:11Wouldn't surprise me if it's a late afternoon at Hampden.
02:15But what I'm looking forward to, I think it's a kind of iconic Scottish Cup semi-final and high stakes for both teams.
02:23Yeah, absolutely. I think, you know, you look at both sides.
02:26It's been a fun year old season for both.
02:28If you look at Aberdeen's record recently at Hampden, off the top of my head, it's not been great.
02:33They have came up against Celtic a couple of times within that, to be fair,
02:36which are, you know, naturally the strongest team in the league at the moment,
02:40the strongest team in Scotland.
02:41But Aberdeen will want to put some things right.
02:43They've lost the last few of their games at Hampden, including one against Rangers a few years ago in, I think, the semi-finals.
02:48Yeah, it's not been a happy place for them recently.
02:52But I think when you look at, and I suppose it's the same for Hearts as well,
02:56they've lost quite a few games to the old firm at Hampden recently.
02:59This is a match against a non-old firm team.
03:01You touched upon that right at the beginning.
03:03And that's what makes it such a big game for both.
03:07I use the word high stakes.
03:09I'll say it again.
03:10I think it's even, I don't think that's underplaying it because of who the opponent is.
03:14It's not often that you get a semi-final against a non-old firm team and they'll both be desperate to take it.
03:22And that brings pressure, Graeme.
03:23I think that's one thing I do worry about this football match is that it could be quite a difficult spectacle
03:30because the weight of expectation on both teams might stop both teams playing.
03:34But I do think Aberdeen have got better forward players.
03:36You look at Toppy Keskin, Shaden Morris, Kevin Nisbet, Pappy Gay.
03:41They're probably in better form than Elton Kabangu, James Wilson and Lauren Shanklin at the other end of the pitch.
03:47So, yeah, really intriguing game.
03:49I'm looking forward to, I think I'd plump for Aberdeen if a gun was put to my head.
03:54But it's not a match to make wild predictions on, I have to say.
03:58I don't think any outcome would truly surprise us.
04:01And, yeah, great way to start a Scotch Shop weekend, half past 12 on the Saturday.
04:05Looking forward to it.
04:06Yeah, I was going to say that the game itself, I'll maybe plump for Aberdeen.
04:10But if I'm looking at my accumulator this week, that's getting moved off completely
04:14because it's a game that comes early in the weekend and I prefer to go Sunday.
04:19I think on top of that, it's just a really hard one to call because, as you say, massive pressure on both really
04:24because Aberdeen's had a really good season, but that dip in the middle kind of really clouds it.
04:29And then you look at Hearts, missed out in the top six.
04:32And then if they don't win this, there's no cup final, there's no chance at a trophy,
04:36there's no European football, which is obviously a downgrade on last season
04:39and more pressure on Critchley, rightly or wrongly.
04:43I think it's a tough game.
04:44Andrew McKinley, the Hearts CEO, did a big address to the fans yesterday.
04:48And I thought he looked pretty stony-faced.
04:50Not a man that's been very impressed by the performances.
04:53And he said, look, this is our last chance, really, to reward the fans who backed Hearts
04:59in numbers at home and abroad.
05:02And he also made the point that Hearts are not entirely safe yet either.
05:05They're only, I think it's points, clear of the second bottom spot.
05:10You would back Hearts to get out of that situation.
05:13But as he said, they can't get embroiled into matters down below.
05:17So I think if they were to go into this league phase after the semi-pinal on the back of a defeat,
05:23it would make Titancastle quite a tricky place to play for.
05:26I think there's more to lose for Hearts than there is for Aberdeen.
05:29Yeah, I agree 100%.
05:32Before we move on to Celtics and Johnson, who's the key man for you?
05:35Who's the match winner this weekend in that game?
05:38Well, I think I look at Aberdeen and I'm always impressed by Toppy Kesson
05:42because he has got so much pace.
05:46I know Shaden Morris on the other flank has got pace too,
05:49but I think Kesson is maybe a little bit more refined,
05:53a little bit more composure than Morris,
05:55although Morris has had a really good season.
05:57I think at Hampden, where it's a really, really big pitch,
06:01and Kesson is going to be up against Adam Forrester,
06:04who is, I think, a young right-back at Hearts,
06:07who's probably the weakest link in that defence.
06:09I think the Finnish winger could be the one that has the potential
06:13to unlock Hearts' defence.
06:16If you're talking about match winners,
06:18Hearts' main players up front, Elton Kabangu and Lawrence Shankland,
06:23have been very, very intermittent in their form.
06:27And if they don't fire, I'm not quite sure who drags them through it.
06:30If Aberdeen, if Kesson doesn't fire, you've got Morris,
06:33you've got Kevin Nisbet,
06:34you've even got the creativity of Ante Palaversa
06:37and Leighton Clarkson behind them.
06:39Aberdeen have got more ammo, I would say, to beat Hearts.
06:45I'm going to say that Kesson and the flying finn
06:47will be the one that causes problems.
06:50Yeah, really great Kesson, good player.
06:52Looking at Celtic St. Johnson, look, on paper,
06:55Celtic have scored 10 goals past St. Johnson
06:58in the first two league games,
07:00but such is the life of a football fan.
07:02St. Johnson then, a fortnight ago,
07:04go and beat Celtic 1-0, and deservedly so.
07:06So, I think Celtic are going to go in as big favourites
07:10based on league position, based on squad quality
07:12and all that that goes with it.
07:14But does that game two weeks ago
07:16play into the minds of both sides
07:18or does it mean nothing at all?
07:20I think it probably sharpens Celtic up, if I'm being honest.
07:25I mean, you would always fancy Celtic
07:28to beat the team that's bottom of the league in Glasgow.
07:32The fact that that win that you mentioned
07:34from St. Johnson came in the league at McDermott Park.
07:38It's a very different environment for Celtic to play on.
07:40The pitch will be bigger and it'll be better.
07:43I think if you played that Celtic St. Johnson game,
07:46again, in the same condition,
07:48Celtic would win the next nine
07:49because they created so many chances that day.
07:52And Andy Fisher, the St. Johnson goalkeeper,
07:54had an excellent performance.
07:55But what I've noticed with the Celtic team this season
07:59is when they have a blip,
08:01there's only been a couple of them,
08:01but when they have that blip, they roar back.
08:04So last weekend, on the back of that St. Johnson game
08:07that you mentioned, they destroyed Calvara.
08:09They were 4-11 instead of half an hour.
08:12And I think they'll be going,
08:13right, St. Johnson have beaten us.
08:15We can't take this team lightly.
08:17We're going to go out and give it our best shot.
08:20There's so much on the line for Celtic.
08:22There's a treble on the line.
08:25There's Brendan Rodgers' exceptional record at Hampden,
08:29a Celtic manager.
08:31And I just think when push comes to shove
08:33for the Celtic team,
08:34when they really have to perform, they do it.
08:36St. Johnson have been better under Balakari recently.
08:40But I fear St. Johnson might get a bit of a pasting on Sunday
08:42if they're not careful,
08:43simply because Celtic have been given the warning.
08:48Remember, you mentioned Aberdeen's record at Hampden.
08:50And Aberdeen drew 2-1 with Celtic earlier in the season.
08:54Everyone said, oh, Aberdeen got a chance in the semi-final
08:56in the Premier Sports Cup.
08:58Celtic won 6-0 that day.
09:00Yeah.
09:01And it's almost like if you poke the bear,
09:03the bear gets angry.
09:04And I think Celtic will come out firing.
09:07I fully expect them to be in the final.
09:10I know we're going back about two weeks to the comments,
09:12and there's been a game since where Celtic have shown up.
09:15But I always found, well, I found Brendan Rodgers' comments
09:18after that St. Johnson game at McDermott Park quite interesting.
09:21He was quite scathing for a performance that, in my opinion,
09:24I feel the same as you.
09:25If you take one or two of those chances,
09:27if Fisher doesn't have a great game, look, it's ifs and buts.
09:30But I think Cameron Carter-Vicker said last week
09:33he felt nine times out of ten as well,
09:34he kind of agreed with what you were saying.
09:36So they'd win that game, they put away a couple of chances
09:37and it's game over.
09:39But I felt like Rodgers was quite scathing in his comments.
09:41Do you think he had this game in mind,
09:44almost to kind of set a little bit of a mark
09:45and be like, don't do that again,
09:47because it's possible if you're not fully on it?
09:49Absolutely.
09:50It's good management, isn't it?
09:51This is why Brendan Rodgers is one of the best in the country.
09:55He's just reminding his team that the standards
09:58are there to be upheld.
10:00Rodgers knows Celtic inside out, knows the fan base.
10:03He knows that you have to win almost every single match
10:06and domestically that you're expected to win every single game.
10:09And the Celtic team, you have to remember
10:12that quite a few of them are playing for the first time at Celtic.
10:16The goalkeeper, Vanessa Nisalo and Kasper Schmeichel,
10:19it's their first season here.
10:20Austin Trusty, Geoffrey Schlupp, Arna Engels,
10:25even Nicholas Kuhn's only a season and a half in.
10:28Same with Adam Eder.
10:29They're still learning about Celtic,
10:31about the expectation levels.
10:32This is Rodgers testing them to find out
10:34if they're mentally good enough
10:36to deal with the expectation level at Celtic.
10:39And also, he's sending a message to his board saying,
10:43I want the highest calibre of player possible to me.
10:45And if these players slip up, you need to back me.
10:48And he said as much in his pre-match press conference last weekend
10:53where his message was very clear.
10:57I need new players in the summer.
10:58I want to refresh the squad.
11:00I want to make them even better.
11:02It's a worrying thought for the rest of the Scottish football,
11:04but Celtic know that they have to improve
11:06because Rangers, if this takeover comes through,
11:09they'll be stronger.
11:11And the Champions League bar has been set.
11:13They made the playoff round.
11:15The expectation level will be to do it again.
11:17So there's a bit of pressure on Rodgers,
11:19but he plays the game really well.
11:21If you're a player, can you imagine losing to St. Johnson,
11:25the team bottom of the league?
11:27I don't think Brendan Rodgers takes that very well.
11:30He'll take that.
11:31He'll take that as a slight on his management and his club.
11:35So that's why he went hard.
11:38And you're right, though.
11:40He'll be looking at us going, yeah,
11:41we play this team again in two weeks.
11:43Don't do it again.
11:44I just can't see a way St. Johnston win this football match.
11:48And I hate saying that because you want it to be competitive,
11:50but can you really, I mean, it's Hamden as well.
11:54It's not like we're playing this game back in Perth.
11:56It's at Hamden.
11:57Yeah, I think Celtic win by a couple of goals.
12:00Yeah, so do I.
12:01I think it's not been made easy for St. Johnston,
12:04the fact that, A, they're in a relegation battle,
12:06that their bread and butter will be making sure they stay up.
12:09Look, I'm sure they'll disagree if they're going to win a cup
12:12like they did a few years ago when they won the double,
12:14but the bread and butter is staying up
12:16and he's got to keep his squad fresh
12:17and he's got to utilise a smaller squad than Celtics.
12:20And he's got one fifth centre-half on top of all that.
12:23He's had a spate of injuries where the last thing you want
12:27is all your defenders to be injured
12:28against the best side in the country.
12:29It's just, yeah, I largely agree.
12:33But the one question I did want to ask,
12:35I was going to ask about key men
12:36and who you think is the match winner,
12:37but I think there's a few in that Celtic team that could be.
12:40But is this an opportunity for Nicholas Kuhn
12:42to show the earlier form he had in the start of the season?
12:44Because there's been a bit of criticism on him as well
12:46because, well, he's not flying the way he was earlier in the season.
12:49He's snatching the chances a bit, isn't he?
12:51Yeah, I think Nicholas Kuhn has let his levels drop quite significantly
12:56since the Champions League campaign ended.
12:59I'm not even sure Nicholas Kuhn starts.
13:01I mean, you might go with Adam Ida up front
13:04and play Dyson Maida and Jota,
13:08or you might go with James Forrest.
13:11I don't think Kuhn's done enough to be a guaranteed starter anymore.
13:14But if he is selected,
13:16it's the sort of game where you're looking for his pace
13:18and explosiveness to really test out St. Johnston.
13:22The good thing that Brendan Rodgers has got now
13:24is the options that he's developed in that front line.
13:28For me, Dyson Maida is your best number nine,
13:30and I'd be starting him at number nine for the rest of the season.
13:33And then I would always try and put Jota in there.
13:37Jota's got a good hand in record.
13:39He's got that kind of creativity
13:42that a lot of Celtic players don't have,
13:44the ability to conjure something out of nothing.
13:46James Forrest, I don't think he deserves to be dropped
13:49because he's played well when given the chance.
13:53I know Rodgers really rates Forrest as a winger,
13:56just thinks he's an intelligent football player.
13:59So, yeah, no guarantees Kuhn starts.
14:02But if you're Simo Valakari,
14:06you're going, well, whoever's in that team,
14:08that front of Celtic,
14:09it's going to be challenging for sure.
14:11I think Maida's the key man tomorrow, Graham.
14:13I really do, on Sunday.
14:14I think he's by far and away Celtic's best forward at the moment.
14:19His pace is so dangerous.
14:21His movement, he's good in the air.
14:23He's finishing well.
14:25This game feels set up for him.
14:28He's player of the season, and he's by and large.
14:32So we're saying, at the risk of being wrong
14:34on a recorded podcast slash video,
14:35we're saying Aberdeen versus Celtic in the final,
14:38if we're putting our chips on the table.
14:39Yeah, I mean, I think I would probably go for that line-up in the final.
14:46I'm obviously more confident that Celtic got the job done.
14:49I think Hearts, Aberdeen will be cagey,
14:52but Aberdeen have got probably a little bit more firepower than Hearts.
14:57And look, Aberdeen's defence always worries me.
15:00I still think they play too open,
15:01but I just don't know if this Hearts team is capable of taking advantage.
15:04That's the city plan I'm looking forward to the most.
15:06I'm fortunate enough to be going to both.
15:07But I do think that Hearts are even more intriguing at the two.
15:12Whatever happens, we'll get a good Scottish Cup final.
15:14That's for sure.
15:16And yeah, a fascinating 48 hours away at the National Stadium.
15:21And of course, like you said, you're going to be there for both games.
15:24I'll be there on the Sunday as well.
15:25So no matter what happens, whether we're right or completely wrong,
15:28which can happen, we will have all of the information,
15:31the reaction, the analysis and the opinion
15:33on the scotsman.com on the sports pages.
15:35So it's Saturday evening and also Sunday afternoon.
15:38But thanks for joining me, Mark.
15:39Cheers.
15:40Thanks, Greg.
15:41Do it again.