McCulloch calm over Collins comment
Kilmarnock player-coach Lee McCulloch expects John Collins' critique of Celtic's Ladbrokes Premiership opponents to fire up some players - but he will not be using them as a motivational tool.
Collins upset several managers by claiming domestic players were not quick or clever enough to punish slack play from his side compared with European teams.
The comments could come back to haunt Collins if bottom club Kilmarnock pull off a shock at Rugby Park on Wednesday night, but McCulloch was unruffled by the former Monaco midfielder's observations.
McCulloch said: "If the players have got anything about them, they will read it themselves and think, 'well...'. That's the players at every club in the league.
"You can use it any way you want to but I don't see any problem at all.
"I just think he's entitled to his opinion. There has obviously been a massive backlash to what he has said. If he did say it he probably didn't mean it the way he said it, having known John Collins throughout my career.
"He has maybe just been a bit naive in the way things have come out, but I don't see the problem at all."
McCulloch, who is nursing an ankle knock and will not feature, admits he is going into the meeting with Celtic with a different mindset than he did while a Rangers player.
With Killie bottom of the table having conceded six goals without reply, the 37-year-old said: "A point would obviously be our first point so that means it would be a good point.
"But it's a great experience for the young boys playing against the calibre of player Celtic have got just now.
"Things have changed, at my last club if I had come out and said a point would be really good, I probably wouldn't have been seen again.
"Any positive result would be brilliant for us."
Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths aims to make it impossible for Ronny Deila to omit him from Champions League line-ups by netting in the Ladbrokes Premiership.
With Nadir Ciftci serving the third game of a six-match ban for biting former Dundee midfielder Jim McAlister, Griffiths is likely to lead the line at Rugby Park on Wednesday.
But Ciftci has started all four of Celtic's Champions League qualifiers since his summer move from Dundee United.
Griffiths has scored goals at Stjarnan and Ross County while hitting five in friendly games but he is still trying to improve his hold-up play to get the nod in Europe.
But he hopes goals against Kilmarnock and Inverness on Saturday could put him in the frame for a start against Malmo in the play-offs next Wednesday.
Griffiths said: "Every game I play I want to score goals and if I score goals it's going to be difficult for the manager to leave me out. I go into every game looking to score goals, whether it's league, cup, Champions League or whatever.
"If I'm playing I'm delighted but if not I'm on the bench and I'm raring to come on. You have always got to be on your toes, especially at a big club like Celtic. But whenever the manager needs me I am ready to go.
"Last season I wasn't in squads but this season I am starting in games. Obviously the main target is to start European games but it's the manager's decision and if he wants to start with Nadir, that's fine by me."
Griffiths scored 16 goals in his final 20 domestic games last season but he recognises that different qualities are needed on the European stage.
"It's always different, you are playing against top players in the Champions League," the 24-year-old said.
"No disrespect to the SPFL but it's a step up in class.
"Especially when we play away from home, teams are going to attack us more. As a striker, especially playing that lone striker role, you need to hold the ball up, and your link-up play and touch have got to be on point, or else teams will punish you and you are out of Europe as quickly as you went in.
"Regardless of who you are playing against, it's a tireless job. You have to make unselfish runs and do your bit for the team."
Celtic are strong favourites to win against a Kilmarnock side who have lost six goals without reply in their opening two games.
But Griffiths is taking nothing for granted.
"When we go to visit teams at their home park, they tend to raise their game against us. I'm sure Gary Locke will have them fired up.
"They have had a disappointing start to the season but they will see Celtic coming to Rugby Park and will be trying to get a result against us."
Source: PAR
