BRENDAN RODGERS can see with his own eyes that the Premiership points difference between Celtic and Rangers has come down this season.

Just don’t tell him the gap between his team and their great rivals is significantly smaller.

Can one be true and not the other? The Celtic manager believes so and presented evidence he felt suggested those who claim Rangers are on the up and now not far away from catching the Parkhead men might have to do a bit of rethinking.

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The question put to Rodgers ahead of this weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final was whether he felt that all those inside and outside Ibrox were right in their opinion, which has been voiced quite a bit, that Celtic are not as far ahead of the rest as they were a year ago. He was ready for it.

Rodgers said: “I have heard that since I have been up here. Every time we play Rangers, everyone talks about the gap. But we have played nine times (and not lost). You are not going to win every game 5-1. We won 2-0 in last year’s semi-final and we murdered them. It was 2-0.

“The week later we won 5-1 but we played better in the 2-0. I also equate it to Bayern Munich. We played them at home and played well but lost 2-1. It was a good game, a close game. I wouldn’t turn around and say we were much closer.

“Up here, you get the chance to play teams sometimes six times in a season. So you would think, just by nature, that at times you will become closer.

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“But my only worry is Celtic and to try and create a new history at the club. This club has a wonderful history and what we wanted to do was use that as a motivation to create new history while we are here.

“In nearly two seasons now, we have been able to do that. We hope we can continue with that cycle, knowing that you are going to be challenged.

“You will be challenged by Rangers but equally you will also be challenged by Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts and Kilmarnock. They aren’t going to make it easy for you.

“I’ll never veer away from that. You can never become complacent. There’s a lot of talk of a gap and all this stuff but you’ve just got to focus on improving and being better yourself.”

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Rodgers and Celtic are two games away from a successive treble – they are hardly going to blow the title now – and while some would say they should be sweeping all before them on the domestic scene, it will still be some achievement.

It is 30 years since Celtic won the double in their centenary year, a big reunion will take place next month, and Rodgers quite likes the idea that his team will be remembered down the ages.

He said: “Let’s see where we go over the next few years. As we sit here now, the players have already done last season what no other team in the history of Scottish football has ever done.

“No team has gone through a season without losing a game to win a treble. It was only the fourth treble in Celtic’s history, under three managers. So they are already there (in the history books). But we don’t think about that.

“We will all be judged when we leave. In the present, you just have to keep on fighting and working to create this new history, keep looking to raise the bar and the standards. That’s all we think about.

“In 25 years’ time, we might get an invitation to the Hydro!”

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If Celtic, to use football parlance, turn up at Hampden they will win and perhaps by a couple of goals.

That’s not to say Rangers have no chance. Indeed, they should have taken a point the last time and the Celtic Park game at Christmas could easily have been won by the visitors had they not been denied by Craig Gordon.

However, the truth of the matter is that all over the park Celtic are better, hence Rodgers’s argument about the gap having been closed, and are out to make it is seven wins in a row at the national stadium.

Rodgers said: “We have faith if we play well, and we have evidence to show that when we do that we have a greater chance of winning, and I think what winning breeds consistently is that confidence.

“We go into the game, players are relaxed but focused on it. We know what we have to do. We have won our last four trophies and when I came in Hampden was the place that everyone didn’t seem to like.

“Very quickly we said to the players, ‘listen, you’re going to have to like it if you want to win.’

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“I think all of our performances there have been very good, some better than others, but in the main we have performed very well and for that you need to be clear in your role and calm in your game and play the game and not the occasion.”

Celtic pre-Rodgers would often be accused of playing the occasion when the occasion took place at Hampden. And not playing it well.

Neil Lennon and Ronny Deila’s record at the old lady was, on the whole, poor, but that is one of the many ills cured by the man not in charge.

Rodger said: “I think it was just a mental issue. Listen, you can lose games there. It can’t be just about that. I think Celtic supporters too didn’t see it as a place to enjoy.

“It is just a mindset. It is dealing with it from a mental perspective first and foremost. If you are going to be successful and win trophies then you have to play well there. You can’t guarantee that you will win every one but you have to go with the mindset to win and not think about anything else.

“You can’t blame a poor atmosphere, or say it’s not quite right for a national stadium. It doesn’t matter. There are two goals and green grass, which is nice, and you’ll have half the stadium full of your great supporters.

“ So enjoy it.”