Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke hails “very good” Celtic

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Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke has lavished praise on Celtic ahead of his meeting with them later today.

The Ayrshire side are looking to make it three wins in-a-row over the Hoops at Rugby Park. A victory for Kille would also see them leapfrog Aberdeen into third place and just three points behind Rangers in second.

Celtic, meanwhile, have taken plenty of stick from supporters for their defeat to Valencia on Thursday night. The Hoops were nowhere near the standard expected, and the manner of defeat infuriated many at the ground.

But Clarke has come out and defended the Parkhead side. Speaking in the Scotsman, the Killie boss was full of praise for Celtic’s recent form and achievements.

“Celtic are in form – take out Thursday night’s game, it was a difficult game for them. I thought Valencia were very good.

“They have shown consistently more or less since we went to Celtic Park in December and got turned over that they are the team that sets the standard in Scottish football and we have to aspire to get to as close to that standard as we can.

“They have been really good. They have played well, good pace in their team, good intensity and they always start the game very, very quick.”

Intensity levels must remain the same today

Celtic can’t afford for one second to think that Kilmarnock will be a huge decrease in quality from Valencia. That kind of attitude will see us on the back of another bad Rugby Park result.

But whilst Celtic were poor in Europe and have been consistently under Brendan Rodgers, nobody can deny their domestic superiority, especially since the winter break.

Celtic have won all seven domestic matches since returning from Dubai. They’ve managed it without conceding a single goal too, and have also rattled home 21 in the process.

Continuing that form this afternoon is going to be an incredibly difficult task. Celtic have conceded in each of their last three against Killie. Clarke will, therefore, fancy his team’s chances of ending Scott Bain’s fine domestic clean-sheet record.

But regardless of that, it’s clear the respect and admiration Clarke has for Celtic. A future Hoops manager perhaps? He certainly has the record and the attitude to merit it.