Quite how a season that once looked certain to be sucked into a black hole ended with a second lump of silverware glinting in the Hampden sunlight still takes a bit of figuring out.
Same goes for quite what will happen next in the wake of manager Martin O’Neill’s working of minor miracles.
The longer things go on, and the more he refuses to rule himself in or out of staying at the club, the more you begin to think that giving the 74-year-old another deal might be regarded the easiest of all options for the board.
The punters love him, as evidenced by the lusty chants of his name before the presentation of the Scottish Cup. The players have undoubtedly reacted to him in this sensational third spell as boss.
Even Neil Lennon, at time-up, took his hand and raised it to the away end – a sign of real respect for his ex-manager and mentor and the job he has done in breathing life back into a club in civil war and clearly flatlining over the past four months.
Despite his background, the Northern Irishman faced a real battle when walking back into the wreckage left by Wilfried Nancy before his inevitable January departure after just 33 days in charge.
Martin O’Neill lifts the Scottish Cup, a week after winning the Premiership title
Skipper Callum McGregor lifts the Scottish Cup at Hampden Park
Daizen Maeda celebrates breaking the deadlock in Celtic’s 3-1 victory over Dunfermline
Yet, amid the celebratory atmosphere within the green-and-white legions when it was clear this final was done and dusted, there were still some firm signs that supporters of the champions want significant change over the summer.
On 65 minutes, a chant of Sack The Board rose, accompanied by banners featuring the crossed-out faces of major shareholder Dermot Desmond and prominent directors. Shortly afterwards, another banner with the words ‘Time For Change! Time’s Up Celtic Board! Time To Go!’.
When the joy of the present is overtaken by the process of looking towards the longer-term future, the question is whether O’Neill, so heavily aligned with Desmond, fits in with the kind of modernising approach desired by a fanbase that spent much of this term in a state of mutiny. And is likely to go back there again.
In many ways, this shaped up as a day of glorious farewells. Daizen Maeda, almost as big a saviour as the boss himself, opened the scoring with his ninth goal in seven games ahead of what will surely be a summer departure. The ‘Arigato Daizen’ sign after time-up recognised that.
Arne Engels scored the second and could be on his way too if another offer in the region of the £25million Nottingham Forest put on the table in January emerges.
Kelechi Iheanacho, who netted the third before Pars sub Josh Cooper’s late consolation, might be offski too. No one quite knows what the future holds for skipper Callum McGregor either.
As O’Neill himself admits, a major reset is needed at Parkhead. Whether he’s going to be there remains a major focus. His body language after this victory was low-key. His reaction at time-up was to embrace Lennon and speak in his ear.
After that, he spoke with coach Mark Fotheringham and looked into the stand to wave to wellwishers. As the celebrations went on at the on-field podium, he chatted to assistant Shaun Maloney. Later on, they gathered for a special photo on the putch with all the backroom staff.
Maloney’s real job, of course, is Professional Pathways Manager. Rumours have been going round of late, though, that he might be in the hunt for a more important role behind the scenes going forward. Now the season’s over, the time for clarity on Celtic’s path forward is upon us.
No matter what has happened in recent weeks, it feels like now *would* be an apposite time for O’Neill to walk away, on top of the world, legendary status assured, calls for statues out the front of the stadium continuing unabated.
He wants his future cleared up. He has already called for the managerial situation to be sorted out ASAP. That has surely got to happen this week. As a mark of respect to him and everything he’s done, as much as anything else.
Kelechi Iheanacho wheels away after scoring the killer third goal for Celtic
For his old captain Lennon, there will be plenty to reflect upon too. He will no doubt have hoped for more from his youthful squad, particularly in the first 45. They made it to Hampden the hard way, beating Premiership opposition in Hibs, Aberdeen and Falkirk on the journey.
The manager has always admitted they have a tendency to blow hot and cold, though, and they never really did themselves justice here until it was all too late.
You could argue Celtic didn’t let them. After a strength-sapping end to the league campaign that required seven straight victories, it would have been understandable if the champions looked a little leggy.
They didn’t. They were on it.
The reality is that Dunfermline’s hopes evaporated just nine minutes in. Had a poked effort from Callumn Morrison crossed the goal-line after a mix-up in communication between Alistair Johnston and goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo crossed the goal-line, things could have been different. They would have had something to hold onto and fight for.
The chance came about through a long ball that Johnston didn’t deal with. Sinisalo was off his line and Morrison got a foot in to send it trundling towards goal. Liam Scales, a strong performer this term, reacted superbly, though, and did so well to hack the ball off the line.
Nine minutes later, the die was cast. Maeda had already caused some serious issues for John Tod, who ended up hooked at the break, in the early part of the encounter when getting in behind him to latch onto a forward pass from Callum McGregor and going down in the area under the central defender’s challenge.
There were some shouts for a spot-kick. Referee Steven McLean and his team saw no reason to take action. It was an early indication, however, that Celtic were open to using direct means to capitalise on Maeda’s pace in behind and that’s how the opener arrived.
Johnston played a ball over the top from well inside his own half, Tod missed his attempt to boot it clear and Maeda was in like Flint to leave himself one-on-one with the keeper. Not always the calmest of characters in such situations, his chipped finish over the advancing Aston Oxborough was sublime.
Where the youngest of the Tod brothers – older sibling Andy was employed further up the field – has to take his share of the blame for the opener, questions had to be asked of Oxborough at the second.
With nine minutes of the opening 45 remaining, McGregor picked up the ball 25 yards or so out and played a square ball to Engels.
The Belgian made clean contact with his effort, but there was something puzzling about the way it whizzed low into the net with the Dunfermline No 1 appearing almost rooted to the spot.
Arne Engels celebrates his long-range strike that put Celtic 2-0 up in the cup final
He just didn’t seem set and prepared. It has to go down as another painfully easy concession.
From that point, there was never going to be any realistic way back. Lennon made a triple substitution at half time – introducing Shea Kearney, Chris Kane and Zak Rudden for Tod, Tashan Oakley-Boothe and Morrison – and there was a very definite rally that saw Charlie Gilmour head wide from a corner before Alfons Amade, on for Nurudeen Abdullai, sent an effort from distance just off target after the hour.
Kelechi Iheanacho replaced James Forrest for Celtic and had the ball in the net on 66 minutes, but linesman Frank Connor was correct in identifying that Yang Hyun-jun had strayed offside before setting him up.
Undeterred, the Nigerian made it 3-0 17 minutes from time, moving onto a ball from Benjamin Nygren inside the area and showing great footwork to jink past Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen before evading Oxborough and converting.
Fair play to the Pars for not allowing it to become a procession after that, though. With 10 minutes to play, Cooper, only just on the park, moved onto a deflected Gilmour effort in an unmarked position and stroked the ball home at the near post.
Of course, no one was going to take the spotlight away from O’Neill and this most unlikely double. Football moves quickly, though. And from this morning, the need for Celtic to spell out what now follows becomes imperative.
