Celtic desperate to bury Old Firm heartbreak

24 September 2011 04:35

Celtic manager Neil Lennon has urged his players to go on a winning run in the Scottish Premier League and put last weekend's Old Firm derby defeat behind them.

The Hoops responded to the 4-2 defeat to Rangers by disposing of Ross County in the third round of the League Cup in midweek.

And now the Celtic manager wants his players to atone further for their loss at Ibrox, starting with the visit of Inverness Caledonian Thistle to Parkhead on Saturday.

It will be the first time the two sides have met since Terry Butcher's team ended Celtic's title hopes last season when they defeated them 3-2 in May.

The Glasgow giants then host Udinese in the Europa League before taking on Hearts at Tynecastle.

There will then be a two-week international break.

"We've got a block of games coming up before the international break and we want to win the majority of them - or win them all if we can," Lennon said.

"I know they are mentally strong, they showed that last year. They just didn't turn up for the second-half on Sunday. We've had a few choice words with them and we don't want to see that again."

Celtic will be without Charlie Mulgrew due to suspension while Kelvin Wilson and Scott Brown are injury doubts.

Meanwhile, Rangers boss Ally McCoist has demanded a positive reaction from his players following their League Cup exit in midweek.

The Ibrox side were on a high following their Old Firm victory but came crashing down to earth with defeat to First Division Falkirk in the cup.

However, Rangers could push even further clear at the top of the table with victory against Dunfermline in the early kick-off match and McCoist warned against complacency.

"As I've said 100 times, the Celtic game is massive but it's not the be all and end all. It's no use performing out of your skin against them if you can't do it elsewhere.

"That's the biggest thing about playing at this club - you have to be able to do it in every game and we need a good reaction now."

Dunfermline have had a good start since their promotion but boss Jim McIntyre is wary of a Rangers backlash in the match at East End Park.

"They'll certainly be disappointed, and any time you lose a game you look for the reaction in the next match," McIntyre said.

"They were fabulous last weekend against Celtic and we know when the champions come to town that they have top players. We'll need 11 players on top form to have a chance.

"That's not being pessimistic - it's facts. They have better players than us, but that doesn't always win you the game."

Elsewhere on Saturday, Craig Brown takes his Aberdeen side to Fir Park to take on former club Motherwell on the back of one of the club's worse defeats.

The Dons were knocked out of the League Cup by second division East Fife in midweek and sit one point off the bottom of the table while third-placed Motherwell have lost three games on the bounce.

Only goal difference is keeping Hibernian off bottom spot and they welcome Dundee United to Easter Road.

St Mirren could leapfrog Kilmarnock into the top six if they beat the visitors to New St Mirren Park on Saturday.

On Sunday, Hearts will look to get over their League Cup exit to Ayr United when they travel to McDiarmid Park to take on St Johnstone.

Saturday (1400GMT unless stated)

Saturday Dunfermline v Rangers (1145), Celtic v Inverness CT, Hibernian v Dundee United, Motherwell v Aberdeen, St Mirren v Kilmarnock

Sunday

St Johnstone v Hearts (1100)

Source: AFP