Football managers creating something of a siege mentality among their players is nothing new, but it can be effective. As one of the most experienced coaches in the game, Brendan Rodgers knows this as much as anyone.

At various points this season, the Celtic manager has pointedly referred to ‘the narrative’ surrounding his team, and ahead of the gargantuan game against Rangers that lies ahead this weekend, he also brought the narrative surrounding the Ibrox side into the equation too.

His side, he feels, have been consistently written off this term. Rangers, on the other hand, have been portrayed as the coming force.

When Celtic went to Ibrox in early September for the first Old Firm fixture this season, there were indeed huge misgivings over their capacity to get a result.

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A spate of injuries accounted for much of those doubts though, with his makeshift centre-back partnership of the hitherto fringe figure Liam Scales and new signing Gustaf Lagerbielke – making just his second appearance – being thrown together at Ibrox and somehow emerging with a clean sheet.

This time around, his squad is in a much better place. There will be a late call made on captain Callum McGregor after over a month on the sidelines, but Cameron Carter-Vickers is back at the heart of the defence and Reo Hatate has returned to lend his dynamism and progressive passing to the midfield.

Still, and even with another Old Firm victory behind them at Celtic Park in late December, Rodgers feels that there is a lack of belief in his team from outside of the camp as they head to Ibrox once more, a mood that certainly isn’t reflected from within.

“I think it’s been the narrative most of the season,” Rodgers said.

“That’s been the storyline, really. Whether it’s warranted or not. Coming into this game it’s pretty much the same feeling.

“Our feeling is that we are comfortable within ourselves and our preparation. We have had a really good week, managed the loading, got players back in and were able to do our tactical work.

“At this time of the season, there is always a danger you can overload players and give them too much. The training this week has been near-on perfect what you would want.

“We have one more day to go and then we will arrive into Sunday with a real good mindset.

“The squad is much stronger [than it was in September]. Just piecing together what the team and bench might be, we are going to have a bench that can really affect the game if needed. That power, pace and quality.

“We have a lot of tools that we didn’t have available earlier in the season but still, the mindset is important in these games, and we go with a positive mind.

“They're always big games and that's what I've always relished and loved. Celtic v Rangers, Rangers v Celtic, they're always fantastic games. The storyline for me is always about opportunity.

“I go back to the first game [at Ibrox]. It wasn't just a good lesson in football, but also in life because in that first game individually, collectively, as a club we were written off arriving into Ibrox, and it feels as if the narrative is pretty much the same, even though both teams are on four wins and a loss from their last five games.

“For me, it's about the opportunity to go there and, like what we did earlier in the season and what we have done on a number of occasions, show that we have that mentality and mental strength to get through any difficult moments in the game for us, but then come through in the end.

“That will be our focus this weekend.”

That gathering strength that Celtic have within their squad as key men return from injury may well be critical in the final title run-in, Rodgers feels, as he is able to choose from a fully-fit squad for almost the first time this season.

“It’s very important for us,” he said.

“That’s been the challenge this season - not having that security through the team.

“It’s been great to see Reo coming back - seeing his level in training and seeing what we’ve missed. How he plays and progresses the game, how he can shorten the game or open up his range, his attacking mindset. We’ve missed that for a lot of the season. So, it’s great that he’s back.

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“Cameron Carter-Vickers also gives the others a balance to the team. It’s great to have the availability and then you just have to choose the right structure.

“It’s just having the authority back on the pitch, and you saw that at Livingston. When we are at our best, we are not giving much away whilst creating that great platform.

“No matter how good you are attacking wise, it’s about consistency in how you defend. We are at our best when we are super organised and tight - and then everything is connected with and without the ball.

“That will be the same on Sunday. We will be attack-minded and front foot, but attack-minded when we defend too.

“When we do that, we can play very well.”

As well as the returning cast of players, Celtic fans can also find comfort in their manager’s Old Firm record heading into this potentially pivotal match, with Rodgers winning 12 of his 15 games against Rangers, drawing two and losing just once.

The secret?

“It starts with the whole build-up,” he said.

“I think it's important not to get entrenched in the whole storyline because at times the storyline can be that 'it could a disaster'. But for me the storyline is that there is always opportunity.

“You arrive, you stay calm and you just look to focus on your performance. This is one of the greatest, most iconic games in world football, but you've got to perform, and you can only do that by staying calm and looking to play your football. “I always feel really comfortable coming into these games but that’s only on the back of preparation and the clarity we want to give to the players. And also, because of how we play.

“I have always been confident in that and we have come in to a lot of these big games and performed very well. It’s not always perfect, but we have performed well in them.

“One season we played Rangers six times, so this little spell of games should be really exciting.

“But it’s a great opportunity for us to finish the season strong.”