By Liam McLeod

Miller holds aloft the Scottish Cup, won by Celtic in 1989

Former Parkhead winger Joe Miller reckons preventing a Rangers treble should be incentive enough for Celtic to win the Co-operative Insurance Cup.

The Old Firm clash in Sunday's showpiece at Hampden and Miller is expecting a tight affair.

"Stopping a treble should give them extra incentive, but they should be looking to win every cup final," he told BBC Scotland.

"It could be a close game as they're both not in the best of form."

Miller scored the only goal in the 1989 Scottish Cup final - the last time Celtic prevailed in a cup final over their Old Firm rivals.

It was a result that denied Graeme Souness's side the treble with the Ibrox club having already bagged the league title and League Cup.

And Miller - who picked up three Scottish Cup winner's medals and one in the League Cup during spells with Celtic and Aberdeen - says this season's League Cup final will be just as close as that one.

"I think it'll be a single goal that will separate the teams," he said.

There's been a lot of criticism rather than support for the way Celtic and Rangers have played this season, Former Celtic winger Joe Miller

"It's a really close one to call, but these ones always provide extra incentive because you've got players who are dying to play in the cup finals.

"It's every boy's dream - particularly if you're a Celtic or Rangers supporter - to play in a cup final and maybe score the winning goal.

"I was fortunate enough to do just that almost 20 years ago."

Celtic were eliminated from the Scottish Cup by St Mirren last weekend, thus ending their own treble hopes.

Both sides have struggled with consistency since the turn of the year, with the Scottish Premier League champions on a run of just six wins from 12 and Rangers winning just three of their last six league games.

And Miller thinks that is because of a change in approach from the players in both teams.

"There's been a lot of criticism rather than support for the way Celtic and Rangers have played this season," he said.

Miller beats Richard Gough and Gary Stevens to score the winner

"Both sides haven't been the most flattering to the eye. The cavalier approach and the 'never-say-die' attitude has gone and the expectations levels don't seem to be so high.

"I think both managers have got to get that back and get it installed into both sets of players because the supporters just seem to be bored with what they've been seeing."

Miller is currently assistant manager with League of Ireland side Dundalk after a spell as Clyde boss and, despite predicting a similar result, he says that is where comparisons with this weekend's final and 1989 end.

"I don't see any similarities between then and now. It's a different time and different era," he said.

"Twenty years ago, we'd previously won the double in our centenary year and our incentive was to win the last trophy of the season - this is the first one of this season for both clubs.

"Because it was right at the end of the season, there was a bit more spice added to it then.

"It was the only trophy we had left to bag, so it was one we had to win."

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