Kilmarnock 1-0 Celtic: 'Wee advantage' leaves Brendan Rodgers asking questions
- Published
Marley Watkins, right, scored the only goal of the game to consign Celtic to defeat
Celtic had never lost a domestic cup game under Brendan Rodgers. They hadn't lost in the League Cup since the dark days of November 2020 under Neil Lennon.
Kilmarnock had lost the previous six meetings and had not beaten Celtic in 13 attempts since September 2018.
And yet manager Derek McInnes always felt his side "had a wee advantage" in their Viaplay Cup last-16 tie.
"We looked a wee bit more together as a squad," he told BBC Scotland after a shock 1-0 win at Rugby Park set up a quarter-final with Hearts.
"They're still pitching towards where they want to be. We've got there a wee bit sooner than we thought and it's been a huge help today."
With a 1-0 opening Scottish Premiership win over Rangers followed by a goalless draw at Hearts, Kilmarnock's relegation difficulties of last season seem a long way away and a bright season beckons.
The mood at Celtic, though, might be more sombre.
Former Parkhead goalkeeper Pat Bonner proclaimed himself "stunned" by the meek way in which last season's treble winners performed.
"There's going to come a time when they lose a game, but it's the way they lost the game," he said, askance, on Sportsound.
"Their identity was lost," added ex-Kilmarnock custodian Cammy Bell. "Celtic didn't change their style of play, despite it being clear to see it wasn't working. I felt Kilmarnock wanted it a little bit more and like Celtic ran out of ideas."
Rodgers, while perhaps not as blunt, acknowledged that his side were lacking.
During his first spell at Celtic, he won this trophy on all three occasions he contested it, along with two successes in the Scottish Cup.
But on Sunday, his side exited in their first tie with barely a whimper, struggling to create openings against their energetic hosts.
"We didn't do enough when we had the ball," Rodgers conceded. "We didn't show enough personality and didn't show the quality to win the game.
"You have to give all the credit to Kilmarnock. They defended strongly, got their blocks in and took one of the few chances they had in the game.
"I have to analyse ourselves, though, and the quality wasn't good enough in the game."
And what of Kilmarnock's "wee advantage"?
"Whenever you play for Celtic, you have to be up to speed," Rodgers added. "We had enough time over pre-season and have had our games, so no, no excuses - we weren't good enough today."