Arthur's Column // 17th Jan 2023

CONGRATULATIONS to Michael and the players for reaching the League Cup Final.

It's never an easy thing to do and such things should never be taken for granted.

Credit to the players for showing patience after going a goal behind to Aberdeen. It's important that panic never sets in.

Ryan Jack got the equaliser just after the hour mark and there was only going to be one winner after that.

It took until extra-time to get it and I was delighted for Kemar Roofe.

He is an excellent player and deserves a wee bit of luck after the injury problems he's had in the past six or seven months.

Kemar is a tireless worker and never complains. He also has skill and composure in and around the penalty area.

I hope his latest injury is just something trivial and does not make him unavailable for selection.

If he can now go on a run of games and be available to play then that's a massive bonus for the manager.

As we chase silverware, Kemar can hurt teams and will be a huge asset for the next four months.

His winner has set up a Final showdown next month against Celtic and that is the fixture I wanted us to have, as I said last week.

Beating Celtic would make victory all the more sweeter and we should be ready to embrace this challenge.

However, that is a few weeks away and before that we have a League game tomorrow night away to Kilmarnock.

That is then followed by a trip to Perth in the Scottish Cup to face St Johnstone.

Games away from home are never easy and my former Rangers team-mate Derek McInnes will have Killie ready for this fixture.

But we should win it and stretch our unbeaten run to eight games under the new manager.

We are then defending our Scottish Cup trophy on Saturday after Giovanni van Bronckhorst managed the team to victory against Hearts in May.

That was a lovely memory for everyone and so important after we had list the Europa League Final to Eintracht Frankfurt a few days earlier.

It's now about making new memories and we are on the right road. Nothing has been won yet but we are definitely going in the right direction.