Aberdeen folk ain’t the sunniest of lots but fair play to Dave Cormack for his actions against an ominous prospect.
The main man at Pittodrie’s approach to Hampden briefs is anything but pessimistic.
There’s a glass of milk on the table. The optimist will say that it is half full. The pessimist will say it is half empty.
The Aberdeen fan will be enraged that Weegie has spilt half of his milk. They are not always the sunniest of lots in the North East, but they should be more than happy to get their fair share of Hampden in a couple of weeks.
Fair play to the Dandies. Many on the west coast scoffed when they demanded a 50/50 split with Celtic for the Scottish Cup Final, with Dave Cormack promising to pay up if they fell short.
Cormack, however, had an easy claim. He knows his club and its supporters, so he wouldn’t have been surprised to see the job lot go in less than eight hours.
There is nothing pessimistic about that. Aberdeen fans could have been forgiven for their reservations about this one.
Everyone and their grandmother has practically handed Celtic the Treble. Most believe Brendan Rodgers’ team only needs to turn up to win another trophy.
It’s perhaps understandable. Celtic are an unsettling prospect. They’ve dominated the league and smacked Aberdeen around enough.
The Dons dared to take a point at Parkhead earlier in the season, ending Rodgers’ winning league start, and a few weeks later they mercilessly rifled six past them in the League Cup semi-finals.
Another five-goal thrashing in Glasgow followed, adding to a six-goal thrashing last season.
Aberdeen are in Glasgow today to face old rivals Rangers at Ibrox, and while they have given the Light Blues a lot of grief over the years, they have been Parkhead punchbags far too often.
That’s what makes the Scottish Cup win so impressive. That is extreme optimism for you, as opposed to the stereotypical Granite City expected doom.
Sure, they might expect to return home empty-handed, but there was no way they wouldn’t be at Hampden in case the unthinkable happened.
It must happen eventually. Aberdeen has waited far too long to get their hands on this trophy.
Maggie Thatcher was still in No.10 the last time they lifted it, and 35 years is far too long, regardless of the changing financial landscape over the decades.
During their lengthy lockout, the Dons have seen far too many other teams succeed.
It’s one thing to say it’s time, but it’s another to actually do it. Celtic will have a few weeks to rest their bodies and minds before the big event.
Aberdeen must sort out their third-place fight. It could be a blessing. Jimmy Thelin’s season has been one of the greatest mysteries.
Last Autumn, there was some fanciful talk about a title challenge, but the wheels did not just come off; the entire jalopy fell apart.
The Swede was able to complete a repair just in time to rejoin the fight for the title of best of the rest, but some warning lights are still flashing.
Aberdeen’s defence has been shaky, and they cannot afford that against a Celtic side that has scored over 100 goals this season.
Thelin may be low-key in front of the camera, but he prefers his teams to attack. That may not be the best plan for Hampden.
Studying how Rangers have played against Celtic in recent derbies could be a better strategy.
On Wednesday, Thelin will get a close look at Celtics at Pittodrie, but don’t expect much to be revealed. Rodgers has hinted that he wants to see if some of the club’s young players have the talent for that type of environment, so expect a completely different look.
Today’s Ibrox match could be a better dummy run. You wouldn’t bet against the Dons inflicting more misery on a Rangers team desperately clinging to the summer.
Dons fans will travel to Glasgow with hope, and the same will be true at Hampden.
And it’s not guaranteed that their half glass of milk will go sour.
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