The Scottish Premiership title race is going down to the final few hurdles, and Celtic find themselves in a position where absolutely nothing less than three points will be acceptable.
As the pressure is now beyond boiling point, Steven Pressley has sent a stark warning to his Dundee players ahead of the visit of Celtic on Sunday.
Pressley has branded Martin O’Neill’s men a ‘dangerous animal’, as the former Hoops man completely understands what the champions of Scotland can produce when their backs are against the wall.
“They have demonstrated over the last number of months under Martin that when they have been up against it, they have found a way,” Pressley acknowledged.
“They have responded in typical Celtic fashion. They will be a wounded animal after losing to Dundee United. A wounded Celtic is a dangerous animal. We have to be ready for that.”
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Steven Pressley wary of Celtic’s response ahead of Dundee clash
That wound is still incredibly fresh, and in the minds of everyone associated with the club.
Just before the March international break, Celtic suffered a costly defeat to Dundee United, denting their hopes in this crazy three-way Premiership title tussle.
The margin for error has now completely evaporated; Celtic need nothing but wins from here on out to keep the crown at Parkhead, and even then, it’s still in Hearts and Rangers’ hands.
Furthermore, this isn’t the first time the Hoops have stumbled in this fixture category, having also suffered a shock defeat to Dundee earlier in the campaign under former boss Brendan Rodgers.
That loss led to Rodgers’ infamous ‘Honda Civic’ comments, as nothing but a Ferrari is needed for the trip to Dens Park.
Pressley knows his side face a test of the highest order, noting that while they have been competitive previously, ‘anything short of our best performance, we will lose the game.’
With survival firmly on the line for Dundee and the title entirely at stake for Celtic, the stage is set for a truly season-defining encounter, and Pressley was clear about that on PLZ Soccer.
“They have demonstrated over the last number of months under Martin that when they have been up against it, they have found a way,” said Pressley.
“They have responded in typical Celtic fashion. They will be a wounded animal after losing to Dundee United. A wounded Celtic is a dangerous animal. We have to be ready for that.
“I think we have been competitive against them. We have had some really good performances against them. We do know that anything short of our best performance, we will lose the game. I know that.
“It’s a really interesting game for both clubs. We still need to survive and stay in the league. Celtic obviously want to hold onto the title, so it’s a brilliant game. A really intriguing game, and one that we are looking forward to.”
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