Celtic must rearm for Rangers right now after their flawed nature is brutally shown up – Hugh Keevins

Yesterday’s Scottish Cup Final brought personal redemption for Aberdeen’s Jimmy Thelin and the denial of a personal distinction for Celtic’s Brendan Rodgers.

The Swede endured the inevitable backlash when the Dons slumped to fifth in the final Premiership table last weekend after four defeats in a row, including a humiliating capitulation at home to Celtic.

The forecast yesterday was for an embarrassing tin lid to be put on a bewildering season of mood swings for the manager.

A rampant Celtic side were waiting for an accumulation of superlative statistics to be rounded off with a single win.

Celtic like to think they are synonymous with the creation of history. On this occasion they were the architects of their own downfall.

Rodgers’ side gave their worst performance of the season and were also hostages to fate.

If it could go wrong, it did for a side who blew a Treble due to their own inefficiency.

An own goal from Kasper Schmeichel cost them the game in regulation time.

There was a bad miss from Player of the Year Daizen Maeda and when captain Calum McGregor missed the first penalty of the shoot-out at the Celtic end, the hand of fate was all over the afternoon.

But it’s impossible to take anything away from the Dons’ resolve, highlighted by the impeccable nature of the four penalties they scored.

A defeat might have cast doubt on Thelin’s future.

A win takes him into the immortal category.

Now Jimmy can clear his diary for May 2060 at the Music Hall in Aberdeen. That’s the venue where, on Thursday, they staged a night to celebrate the last Scottish Cup Final win for the Dons – coincidentally against Celtic in 1990.

The Legends Return they called it – which obviously means yesterday’s side assume the same