Whether it is interpreted as arrogance or swagger depends very much depends upon perspective but Virgil Van Dijk exuded the assuredness we have come to associate with Dutch sportspeople on joining the discussion about Celtic's prospects in the wake of securing their first League Cup win for six years.

"We are on our way for the Treble and we want to make history," he asserted.

"That's what we aim to do and I'm very confident that we're going to do it as well.

"If everybody's 100 per cent and up for it then we can beat everyone in the league and all the opponents we face."

In a strange way it could be argued that Van Dijk's words carried even more authority because if ever there was a time for the imposing central defender to submit to a smidgeon of self-doubt it would surely have been after a couple of weeks in which his temperament and attitude have come under a new level of scrutiny.

Red cards in two of his club's biggest matches of the season, the second leg of their Europa League meeting with Inter Milan in the previous week's meeting with Dundee United in the Scottish Cup quarter-final offered cause for concern.

So, too, in the eyes of Sean Dillon in particular, did the challenge which effectively turned Sunday's final as Dundee United's captain had to retire from the fray for six minutes to have seven stitches inserted in a wound, during which time Kris Commons scored the vital fist goal.

That Dillon was himself dismissed for a lunging challenge later in the match may have intensified his pique, but he was in no mood to consider his injury as having been inflicted accidentally.

For his part Van Dijk dismissed any suggestion that he had deliberately left his foot in, though.

"No, never. We're going to have the same conversation maybe as last week of course, but I never did anything I feel was wrong and I would never do that either," he said.

All of which would normally be part of the rough and tumble of such occasions, with claim and counter-claim, before the participants move on, but it takes on an added element given the extended nature of this run of meetings between Celtic and Dundee United that will play such a part in determining whether the treble can be achieved.

Two down and two to go there have now been so many contentious incidents, collisions that have resulted in injuries or red cards or penalties, that it seems inevitable that tensions will be mounting, but Van Dijk gives the impression that he believes he has come through the worst of the storm.

"It was a very good feeling, especially after the tough week I had personally," he said of playing in and winning on Sunday.

"I was worried after the game last week... very stressed and really down.

"I couldn't believe I was sent off. I was disappointed with the red card and knew it was going to be a long week even though we said we were going to appeal straight away.

"You want to know as soon as possible.

"It was a strange week so I was just happy to be able to play. It would have been very hard to watch it from the stands.

"This was my first final ever and it was special. I wanted to play in the final very badly."

While his feeling that he has been the victim of some misfortune was at least partly justified by the overturning of his red card, he knows he must take some responsibility.

"I don't know if maybe I was having some bad luck with the red in Milan and last week, but I need to be sometimes composed as well.

"It wasn't a red card... but everybody makes mistakes and we need to move on and that's what everybody did and that's why I played."

Setting aside those issues Van Dijk's physique and pace make him the poster boy for what Ronny Deila, the Celtic manager, is looking for in seeking to create a team of footballing athletes and it seemed natural that he would be particularly pleased to see the methods being pursued by his fellow continental being vindicated.

"It gives him (Deila) a boost, but it gives us all a boost, everyone at Celtic," he observed.

At the end of a week which saw Celtic's on-field leader's lifestyle choices appear to be very much at odds with the values championed by the man in charge of footballing matters, it is a boost that has also reinforced confidence in Deila's outlook if the views expressed by Anthony Stokes are anything to go by.

"The gaffer came in and changed a lot of things," said the Irishman.

"He's relentless. We break things down and work them into the ground, then let our football take over. I think he's been brilliant since he came along.

"I don't think it's a question of us buying into it now, it's just that it maybe took a couple of months when he came in, but everyone did buy into it.

"You have to play the way the gaffer wants and work at the intensity he demands if you are to get into his team.

"It's either a case of doing it or you don't play but we're seeing the benefits of it now."