JOB done. That seems to be the sentiment engulfing Celtic fans after last night's 3-0 victory over Raith Rovers in the League Cup quarter-finals.

Two beautiful goals from Jota and David Turnbull sandwiched a close-range Liel Abada header to put Rovers to the sword in Parkhead, with Celtic in control of the match for the full 90 minutes without ever putting their feet to the floor.

It was not reminiscent of the batterings given to Dundee and St Mirren last month, but the bar's been set high by the team in that regard. In a cup competition though, no matter the level of the opponent, progress is the main thing and Celtic achieved that.

Such a sentiment was echoed by Ange Postecoglou, who told the BBC: "The important thing is we're there. We were pretty comfortable, our players did what they had to, we started okay and controlled it and once we got the first goal it made life difficult for them. I think we did what we needed to do and it gives us an opportunity to get to the final."

No high praise from the manager, underlining what's at stake in the latter stages of a competition. "Did what they had to do," suggests minimum-of-fuss stuff without really breaking a sweat. The tone of voice is important too - hard as that is to project in a written piece - but Postecoglou didn't enthuse or exclaim with relief in a way which he might've if Celtic scored a last-minute winner to overcome a resolute Raith side. It was said almost with a sigh which is more aligned with a reluctant acceptance of how the goal was achieved.

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Kyogo Furuhashi? Check. Callum McGregor? Check. James Forrest? Check. Isn't it about time another name was added to Celtic's injury list? Last night the chosen football god reached his or her hand into the tombola and pulled out, drum roll please... Celtic's new number seven, Giorgos Giakoumakis. Before he's even kicked a ball.

The new arrival was in the matchday squad for the first time but injured his calf in the warm-up and has been sent for a scan.

Postecoglou told Radio Clyde: "There's something looming over me at the moment to challenge me every day. We've got to work through it, there's resilience in the group, we went through the first part of the season really short at the back but tonight I think we had four full-backs and three centre-backs out there at the end. We seem to be getting hampered in the front half, it's the challenge being put before us, if we can get through this period and still be okay then it means there are some promising things ahead for us."

Well, full marks for positivity. It's certainly a glass-half-full outlook from the manager, looking to embrace the challenge of a ridiculously stretched squad rather than bemoan it. 

He continued: "You benefit from it if you approach it in the right manner. It's a valid reason why we're a little bit inconsistent in the way we're playing at the moment; we've lost our captain, we've lost our top goalscorer and other guys that can play in the front area haven't been available so those kinds of things can be used as reasons for not progressing but we're not doing that. if we've not performed like Sunday then we take it on the chin and come back tonight and get the job done. If we get through this period it just means we're a really strong unit.

Sure, it's fair to recognise the continuity of selection is being impacted and so it's only natural this can stagnate performances, especially when the absences are such vital ones. The refusal to make excuses in light of the two striking arrivals being rendered useless, the captain suffering a rare injury and the most consistent performer over the last five years not being available are important losses. Instead, Postecoglou wants it to underline the strength of character in his side.

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One player on the receiving end of glowing praise, unlike the rest of the team, was Adam Montgomery. The teenager started at left-back with Jota ahead of him and speaking after the game, Postcoglou enthused about his attitude.

He told Celtic TV: "Monty has been very good, that's the first time I've started him in his proper position. Unfortunately, we couldn't keep him there the whole game but he shows a lot of promise and the good thing about him is he constantly wants to learn and has enormous self-belief irrespective of his age and he's one that has a bright future.

He also admitted he was pleased with the contribution of James McCarthy, who was on the receiving end of some fan criticism after the defeat to Livingston. He continued: "James was better tonight and he probably enjoyed being on the pitch, having more room and freedom. He'll get better, it's his second start and I thought he did a good job."