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Danny Stewart: Daniel Stendel and Derek McInnes are up for the Cup – and under scrutiny in the quarter-finals

© SNSDaniel Stendel and Derek McInnes face testing Cup ties
Daniel Stendel and Derek McInnes face testing Cup ties

It is handy for the SFA that, at a time when they are hunting for a new sponsor for the Scottish Cup, the competition is presenting itself in the best possible light.

Last midweek, two fifth round replays offered up startling drama for an audience satiated by TV action from all over the world.

On Tuesday, St Mirren beat Motherwell on penalties after it had ended 4-4 after 90 minutes.

Then, 24 hours later at Rugby Park, Aberdeen edged Kilmarnock 4-3, with the winner coming in stoppage time of extra time.

Combined, they have provided the perfect appetiser for a feast of entertainment in next weekend’s quarter-finals.

Domestic cups are often disparaged in these days of elongated European competitions that offer both greater financial reward and prestige to their participants.

The sight of top English clubs sending out patchwork teams comprised of kids and out-of-favour veterans in the FA Cup is dispiriting for those old enough to have grown up in the days when a live Wembley Final was a highlight of the year.

Happily, it does not happen so much here in Scotland.

The arrival of Brendan Rodgers at Celtic was a particular fillip to both the League Cup and Scottish Cup.

The Irishman, with a clear eye on the historic significance of winning the Treble, treated all ties not so much as a potential banana skins, but unexploded hand grenades.

They won them all under his charge and the lesson was heeded, not least by his successor Neil Lennon, who clinched himself a permanent deal by steering his side to victory in last season’s Final.

The Hoops are still in the shake-up this year – away to St Johnstone on Sunday – book-ending a weekend that starts with Hibs v Inverness Caley Thistle.

But the real intrigue lies elsewhere, specifically with Saturday’s double-header.

It kicks off with Hearts at home to Rangers, and ends with the meeting of the midweek heroes, St Mirren and Aberdeen in Paisley.

For three of the four managers involved – Daniel Stendel of Hearts, Rangers boss Steven Gerrard and Aberdeen’s Derek McInnes – the outcome of their ties will have a massive impact on the way their individual seasons are judged.

With his team marooned at the bottom of the Premiership, Stendel has to view the visit of the Light Blues as a potential catalyst to turn his new club’s season around – before it is too late.

Hearts are not too big to go down.

McInnes will remember only too well the way Dons travelling fans chanted for him to go after his team’s underwhelming display in the 0-0 draw at the Paisley ground at the end of January.

Given the squad and the budget he has at his disposal, Aberdeen need to be getting past this tie and targeting a Final appearance, if not a Cup win.

The same applies to Gerrard.

Unlucky losers in the League Cup Final, he knows that on their best form, Rangers would have a great chance to win silverware.

That would go a long way to easing the pain that appears to be coming down the road, with Celtic now looking near nailed-on for nine-in-a-row.

So plenty to look forward to.

The only unappealing aspect of the quarter finals, in fact, is the scheduling with four different kick-off times – three of them at night – across three days, giving a drunken look to the card.