Derek McInnes rightly pointed out his Kilmarnock players don’t live on a different planet. They’re all well aware of the intense threats Celtic will pose them tomorrow.
In the cold light of day, the truth is that Celtic and Kilmarnock are lightyears apart. In numerous aspects.
However, the Rugby Park boss is full of belief that his squad can cause a shock of stratospheric proportions when Ange Postecoglou’s men come to town as Killie aim to strike an advantage in the relegation fight with Ross County and Dundee United.
“The last two in Glasgow at Celtic Park and at Hampden we did a lot right in the game,” McInnes said. “We went with different systems and at Hampden, I thought it was probably our best performance against Celtic. We were in the game right up until the dying embers but Celtic have been relentless this season.
“The game they lost there were a few key players not starting but their focus has always been there and being out of Europe has given them a real domestic focus. That consistency has been good for them but what we need to see is an improvement from us. We got that at Hampden.
“A lot of my players had never played there before and we dealt with that one with maturity but you almost have to be pitch-perfect to get a result against Celtic.
"We want to show that it can happen and we want to show we are fighting, we are scrapping and we are good enough to get a positive result. We want to go into the post-split fixtures in a good mindset.
“I want to see my team out there with intelligence, belief, organisation, and having that personality to think they can get a result.
READ MORE: Sam Walker hoping to dodge Kilmarnock survival mission on final day
“They are one of the few teams that we haven’t managed to get points from here. But my job is to instill belief and tactically we need to be spot-on.
“Physically you must be too but mentally you also have to be ready. Mentally it is important that the players go onto the pitch in a good state of mind and part of my job is to make sure of that.
“That can be showing them past performances and reminding them of what they have done well in previous games and reminding them of our home stats. Once the ball rolls it is all about decision-making.
“The players don’t live on Mars. They watch Celtic and they have played against them. They know they are good players and all I would ask is they don’t let Celtic enjoy the game and let them stroll about.
“This is the hardest three points to get in the league but there has to be a belief from us that we can get a positive result. I believe we can stop them.”
The manager also confirmed that there is no interest from Tottenham in David Watson.
He added: “I don't know where that has come from. There has been no contact from Spurs and I’m not expecting any contact.”
Meanwhile, Kyle Vassell will return to action this weekend. It's believed Liam Polworth and Ben Chrisene should return soon.
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