Scottish Cup winner Morgaro Gomis believes Dundee United can beat Celtic in their quarter-final and repeat 2010’s Hampden heroics.
The midfielder was in the Tannadice team which lifted the cup two years ago, and watched from his new home in Birmingham as the Tangerines disposed of Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday.
The confidence his former team-mates will have picked up from beating one half of the Old Firm will help them complete the double when Celtic come to Tayside next month.
Gomis, who left United for Birmingham City last summer, has a feeling 2012 could be United’s year again.
He said: ”United will believe that after beating Rangers the way they did then they can do the same to Celtic. I think that right now United are the only team capable of stopping Celtic getting a treble.
”Celtic are going really well and are top of the SPL but cup competition is totally different. I think that at Tannadice, United are capable of beating anyone and Celtic won’t be looking forward to it.
”Just think back to the quarter-final two years ago that shows it’s possible. A lot of it was down to self-belief and the United players will be confident this time round again.”
He added: ”I watched the game on Sunday and was really impressed. They dominated the game from start to finish and could have scored a few more.
”A lot of the focus was on Rangers’ problems but that shouldn’t take away from how well United played. They probably won’t get the credit they deserve but that won’t bother the players. They are in the quarter-final with a big game against Celtic to focus on.
”Although a few of the players who won the cup two years ago have left, there is still loads of experience in the squad. And they will be confident of getting back to Hampden again. It was great to see the fans celebrate at Ibrox on Sunday and I’d love to be there in May supporting the boys if they get there.”
There wasn’t a United player who didn’t perform exceptionally at Ibrox, but the man who really caught Gomis’s eye was winger Gary Mackay-Steven, a player with whom he trained towards the end of last season.
He said: ”I was really impressed by Gary Mackay-Steven on Sunday. He caused Rangers loads of problems and has been a very good signing.
”I still speak to a lot of the boys and they have been telling me how well he’s doing. He’s a very exciting young player and the kind of guy United have done really well with in the past.”