Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes has previewed Saturday’s trip to Celtic Park, where the Hoops can move one win closer to the Scottish Premiership title — or even win it, if Rangers lose on Sunday against Aberdeen.
With Celtic suffering their fourth league defeat of the season — all coming in the last four months — the Bhoys and Brendan Rodgers have a point to prove. And with Killie having caused Celtic problems at times over the years, Rodgers will surely have the team up for the game in what promises to be a very important afternoon at Paradise.
McInnes, on the other hand, will be hoping to cause an upset. However, it appears that Rodgers may make a number of changes from the team that started at McDiarmid Park, with several players’ roles in the starting XI being questioned due to lacklustre performances. That makes the team selection all the more interesting, and McInnes is expecting a reaction ahead of the game.
He said: (Kilmarnock FC), “Obviously, some games are more difficult than others, and there’s no tougher game than going to Celtic Park.
“We have just got to try and do a lot of what we feel we have to do when we go there. We expect a tough game, but equally, we need to try and make it difficult for them.
“Saturday will be a totally different game. I thought we played in the right areas against Motherwell, we dominated a lot of the game, even with 11 men, I thought we were doing the most attacking.
“But Celtic average 74 per cent possession in the league – they dominate the ball, so it’s a different type of game.
“I don’t think there are too many weaknesses in this Celtic side. It was a bad day for them and a good day for St Johnstone. But what we’ve got to expect now is a tough game. Celtic are normally at the top of the league for a reason. That result will have annoyed their manager, so we have to expect a reaction.
“But equally, I want us to be a tough opponent.”
McInnes, who is known for his post-match meltdowns after facing Celtic, has often been linked with the Rangers manager role over the years. And despite speaking humbly ahead of this game, he’s no stranger to questioning refereeing decisions when coming up against the Hoops — something that often feels more like an excuse after a defeat rather than a complaint with real substance.
With Killie sitting ninth in the table — three points ahead of 11th-placed Dundee and six clear of bottom side St Johnstone — the Ayrshire side haven’t had a season to remember. Celtic will be hoping to continue that trend, having defeated Kilmarnock 4-0 in the first league meeting of the season at Celtic Park.
