THE crowds for the League Cup quarter-finals in midweek were pretty disappointing.

But there were reasons for that. They weren't included on season books, for a start.

And fans don't get much advance warning of when games are, and who they are against.

It is understandable, then, that so few turned up in the last-eight ties.

But I have no worries at all that the semi-finals early next year will all sell out.

No matter what the draw is this evening, the fixtures will whet the appetite of every Scottish football fan.

The four most compelling clubs in the country - Aberdeen, Celtic, Dundee United and Rangers - are all still involved. The games, then, will be box-office.

I think the League Cup has been one of the highlights of the football calendar in the last few years.

Clubs that don't feature in cup finals all that often, Kilmarnock, St Mirren and Aberdeen, have all won. And their supporters have all enjoyed the occasion.

I've no doubt Rangers fans will get right behind their team, whether they are paired with their Old Firm rivals or not.

And, having beaten SPFL Premiership clubs Inverness Caledonian Thistle and St Johnstone in the last two rounds, they will certainly fancy their chances of reaching the final.

The Gers are a better team and a better-looking team than last season when they lost to United in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Ibrox.

I've been critical of Ally McCoist's side in the past for being too predictable. Against Hibs at Ibrox earlier this season, for example, they were very poor and deserved to lose by a 3-1 scoreline.

But I do think they have shown an overall improvement on last season. Lewis Macleod has returned from his injury and is a better player than he was.

Plus they have brought in Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller.

Darren McGregor, another new signing, has settled into the defence well.

Taking on Aberdeen or United will certainly be a step up in class for them on Inverness and St Johnstone. But, if they perform at their best, Rangers are capable of winning.

I think any fair-minded person would accept that the Ibrox club were not on the same level as a team like Dundee United last season.

But Jackie McNamara's side, along with Derek McInnes's team, have tailed off a little bit this term. They have both had their mishaps in the Premiership.

So have Rangers, of course. They have lost at home to Hearts and Hibs, and drawn with Alloa away.

But I think they could beat Aberdeen and Dundee United. The game being in Glasgow will certainly be to their distinct advantage.

Celtic would be a different proposition altogether. They are on a different level to their age-old city adversaries. It would be interesting to see how that one went.

There is a different dynamic to the League Cup this term ... and it is a welcome one. Every Scottish football fan, including the neutral observer, can look forward to the semi-finals.

They will be sell-outs. That can only be good for our national game after a difficult couple of years.