Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes reckons his team can pull off another shock victory against Celtic this weekend, after dumping the Bhoys out of the Scottish League Cup earlier in the season.
Killie are the only team in Scotland to have beaten Brendan Rodgers’ side this term and visit Paradise on Saturday in the Scottish Premiership, hoping to capitalise on any lingering European hangover.
McInnes is bullish with his comments and has called on a ‘dogged and aggressive’ Kilmarnock performance at Celtic Park.
McInnes hoping lightning strikes twice vs Celtic
He said [Daily Record, 06/10 print edition]: “A lot of players will be going there who know what it takes to beat a team like Celtic. We will try to mirror what we did against them earlier this season. I have watched that game back and I will be giving the players a lot of the same messages.
“I will also look at how teams have caused Celtic problems this season. You have to be prepared to surrender possession at times. Any time you play Celtic it is vital you try to stay in the game and not give it to them all their own way.
“That is why any team who goes there has to stay on the job, be dogged and aggressive. And if you can strike the first blow as we did at Rugby Park then that can give you so much belief.”
Celtic have shown progression and improvement since that cup game, there’s no doubt. The team look far more cohesive and able to play as a unit.
This game will actually be a good barometer of that, especially if Killie are coming to set up and play in the exact same way.
It’s up to the Bhoys to show they are better than that Rugby Park occasion and leave McInnes’ ‘aggressive’ tactics as a losing strategy, as they are often are against us.
In other news, Brendan Rodgers thinks the Celtic support showed something at the end of Lazio loss.
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