CELTIC are three games from greatness. Forty four matches into what could be the first invincible domestic Scottish season since 1899 and only the fourth treble in the club's history, it would only be normal if there were a few signs of nerves or slip-ups from a side closing in on achievements of such enormity.
But perhaps Brendan Rodgers' biggest trick this season is how he appears to have trained his players' minds. At Aberdeen on Friday night, the Parkhead side played with the same kind of carefree abandon they were showing back in August. Football teams often speak of taking things one game at a time but Celtic this season embody it.
"If you worry about it too much you can let it get to you and your emotions but we've been resilient this year and been mentally strong," said winger Patrick Roberts. "I don't think it fazes us. We just go onto the pitch and we just want to play the best we possibly can and improve. We just want to get better every game and it doesn't faze us making history. That proves we're a top side.
Read more: Patrick Roberts: Chance to make history at Celtic means the world to me
“He [Rodgers] says that teams want wait for us to slip up rather than try and beat us," the Londoner added. "If we don't do that, we know our game, and we know we'll come out with the best result. For us it's just staying mentally focussed and prepared and going into every game how we have this season and coming out with the result. We've been the same since we started the season against Hearts. We've taken every game as the same and we go into the next two similar and then the cup final itself. It's a good two weeks to come and we're looking forward to it."
The Parkhead side might want to take it one game at a time, but it is only natural if others want to use Friday night's match to try to second guess the outcome of the Scottish Cup final later this month.
As imperious as the Parkhead side were in the first 11 minutes - Invincibles versus Invisibles, was how one wag put it - the Pittodrie side too might just have gleaned some psychological edge from the trouble they caused Craig Gordon for the remainder of the match.
Three down to an early Dedryck Boyata header from a devilish Leigh Griffiths corner, a Stuart Armstrong finish and a long-range Griffiths strike, the Dons got an early goal back through Jonny Hayes before Jayden Stockley spurned a glorious chance then Graeme Shinnie felt he should have had a second half penalty.
Read more: Patrick Roberts: Chance to make history at Celtic means the world to me
Mind games or not, but Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes said afterwards that he felt most of the games better players were wearing red jerseys, even though the return of Scott Brown for the final will help Celtic shore things up in midfield.
“It was a very, very strange start," said Niall McGinn. "I don’t even think our forward players had touched the ball and yet we found ourselves 3-0 down. It is something we need to learn from. If we make mistakes and defend like we did in the first 10 minutes then we know we will get punished against a very good side. But once Jonny got the goal I thought we were the more creative going forward.
“It is always a good sign when you are going off at half-time and the fans are applauding you," he added. "They knew the effort was there but we never made the start we wanted. We have to take confidence from our performance in the last 80 minutes against Celtic into the cup final. We know that if we play well, defend well and take our chances then we are more than a match for anyone, although you need a bit of luck along the way as well. The final be a wonderful occasion and we don’t want to go there just to make up the numbers."
Before then come two league matches, the first of which comes on Wednesday night at Ibrox, a match which Aberdeen go into looking to atone for a 3-0 defeat to Pedro Caixinha's side at Pittodrie. "I don’t think we owe them one," said McGinn. "We just need to put in a good display to build up the confidence. “We have more or less got second tied up and we want to keep the season going and to finish on a high before the cup final.
Read more: Patrick Roberts: Chance to make history at Celtic means the world to me
"The last game against Rangers was very frustrating," he added. "You saw we were the better side on the day. We created enough chances but we need to get out of our game the fact when we concede a goal we concede others quickly after. It happened against Rangers and then again against Celtic."
McGinn is moving on again this summer after five years at the club and it goes without saying that he would dearly love to sign off with a Scottish Cup final win. “I have loved every minute I have been here," he said. "It has revitalised my career and got it back on track. I have to thank Craig Brown for bringing me in at the start and under Derek [McInnes] it has been very enjoyable, winning a cup and winning a lot of personal awards and scoring a lot of goals. It would top off a great stint here to get my hands on the Scottish Cup. So I will be going out all guns blazing to try and do that.”
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