HISTORY was made at Hampden when Celtic cruised to the club’s 100th trophy and the fear for everyone else in Scottish football is who in all honesty is going to stop them adding to their haul with ease.

Aberdeen are the second best team in the country, have a good manager and some genuinely talented players. They were a distant second best in the Betfred League Cup Final.

It is almost cruel to put forward the argument that Celtic played several levels beneath themselves and still could win by three clear goals.

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Aberdeen improved as the march went on, but they began with far too defensive a mindset, catching Celtic on the break was clearly a tactic, when they should have been more on the front foot. It played into the hands of the champions.

That Celtic under Brendan Rodgers are lording it above the rest is no great boast. The difference in finances – a gap that is only going to get bigger – means that they should be out of sight every season.

However, that is not to suggest Rodgers, and those who persuaded him to come, does not deserve huge credit for breathing some much-needed life into that football club. They are a good team to watch, have won the fans back and a Treble, some decent European success and ten league titles in a row are, as we stand right now, are actually more likely than not to be achieved.

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The brilliant Scott Brown ran the game, ably supported by everyone else, with special mention to goalscorers Tom Rogic, James Forrest, arguably his best game for the club, and special mention must go to Emilio Izaguirre who had a smashing match

If Celtic supporters do know their history, both past and more recent, they would have approached this match with cautious optimism.

Even when their team could legitimately claim to be one of the best in the world, the League Cup strangely seemed to do for them. In the 1970s they lost seven out of eight successive cup final appearances.

And in recent years, when again the dominant force, only twice had they won this cup in a decade. Indeed, seven times Celtic had lost at Hampden since 2010 when they were favourites, most times heavily so.

Maybe it was the extra-long Huddle conducted by the captain, but the outcome was never in any doubt.

The first 12 minutes were incredible cagey. Celtic had possession. Aberdeen pressed, the ball had to get passed backwards and that was about it.

And then the game sprang to life. Some nice touches from Stuart Armstrong and Izaguirre sent the left-back scampering down the win like old times, his cross was a fine one, and he picked out Moussa Dembele, whose header was superbly saved by Joe Lewis.

However, Celtic were ahead soon enough on 16 minutes.

Jozo Simunovic’s original pass was cut out but the Croat showed great alertness to win it back, Kenny McLean should have won the tackle, and he got the ball to the right foot of Tom Rogic. The Australian found it way too easy to get off a shot on his left, Graeme Shinnie and Andrew Considine should have done more to close him down, and the ball was soon nestling in the bottom corner.

It was a wonderful goal.

To Aberdeen’s credit, they got right back into it. James Maddison’s delivery from a free-kick was typically precise as was Considine’s header, only for Craig Gordon to get both hands to the ball.

Things died down for a period. Celtic were happy enough with their lot, while Aberdeen struggled to spend much time on the ball.

Celtic were by the better side without really doing all that much. With Brown driving them on from midfield, if a team can ever completely feel comfortable in the cup final then that’s what was happening.

A good run from Patrick Roberts across the face of Aberdeen’s box on 37 minutes presented Forrest with a shot which fizzed an inch or so wide. Within 60 seconds, the winger won the cup for Celtic.

Collecting the ball in midfield, he ran at the Aberdeen defence, Anthony O’Connor kept going backwards, Considine failed to make enough ground and Forrest sent his shot across Lewis and into the bottom corner.

And that, really, was that. Aberdeen weren’t going to get close to any silverware.

Aberdeen were better after the break, they had to come out, and a few good crosses were put into the Celtic area, which were easily dealt with.

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Rogic enjoyed a lot of space, he went through the game without being picked up, and while he can sometimes does make the wrong decision, the Australian can play football and had a hand in the third which came on 64 minutes.

After a period of good play from Celtic, all good, quick passing and clever movement, Rogic flicked a pass through to Forrest whose pace did for Anthony O’Connor who stuck out a leg and gave away a penalty.

Dembele sent Lewis the wrong way and it was then a case of how many Celtic could be bothered score. Stuart Armstrong missed something of a sitter, but that was a minor detail.

Celtic are going to take a lot of stopping.