Neil Lennon insists Dunfermline are not travelling to Hampden simply to make up the numbers ahead of Saturday’s Scottish Cup Final against Celtic.
But Lennon clearly believes his side have already earned the right to be taken seriously.
Dunfermline’s route to the final was not built on easy draws or lucky afternoons. They knocked out Hibs, Aberdeen and Falkirk during the run while showing they can stay organised without the ball and punish mistakes when chances appear.
That matters against Celtic.
Even during Celtic’s recent winning run under O’Neill, there have still been moments where teams staying compact and aggressive out of possession have caused problems. Hearts did it for long spells at Celtic Park last weekend before the match completely flipped late on.
Lennon knows his side will spend periods defending deep on Saturday.
The bigger challenge is whether Dunfermline can carry enough threat in transition once they win the ball back. Aberdeen struggled badly against them in the earlier rounds because Dunfermline kept forcing the game into physical battles instead of allowing clean build-up play.
Lennon spoke confidently about that belief this week ahead of facing his former club.
He said: (TCW), “The proof is in the pudding; we’ve beaten Hibs, Aberdeen, and Falkirk.
“We are taking on the champions, and I’m under no illusions about how difficult that is going to be, but it’s a one-off game. I think [beating] Premiership opposition has given them the belief that they can beat them. It’s not a day out.
“I wouldn’t dismiss us. We’re the underdog, but underdogs bite.
“Yep. It just adds fuel for me, so it’s great. It’s disrespectful, which, again, I don’t mind.
“We will come with, I wouldn’t say brimming with confidence, but with an inner belief that we can achieve something here.”
That last line probably tells you most about Lennon’s approach.
He understands the gap between the two squads. Celtic’s bench alone probably costs more than Dunfermline’s entire starting side. But cup finals do not always become technical games. Momentum, nerves and physicality can change matches quickly.
Especially against a Celtic side still emotionally draining from the title race chaos last weekend.
Lennon will absolutely try to turn this into an uncomfortable afternoon rather than an open football match.
