Forget what is happening elsewhere and focus on the job insists Goodwin
St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin has told his players to forget the league table and what their relegation rivals are doing when they travel to Celtic Park.
His side were held to a goalless midweek draw by St Johnstone in what, on paper, seemed the least difficult encounter facing the Ladbrokes Premiership bottom three.
However, Hamilton and Hearts gained ground on them with surprise results as Accies won at Ibrox and Daniel Stendel’s side scored an emphatic Edinburgh derby triumph.
Saints certainly have the most demanding task this weekend. Hearts host Motherwell and Hamilton welcome Kilmarnock, while Goodwin’s men take on the runaway leaders.but he wants his side to forget events elsewhere.
“There’s never any nerves when you are going to Parkhead,” said Goodwin, whose side lost 2-0 in the east end of Glasgow earlier in the campaign.
“Celtic are expected to turn up and beat us comfortably and that’s what everyone expects.
“But we know we are capable of stifling that. We did that last time we were at Parkhead in October. We went in at halftime 0-0 and didn’t start the second half well enough, and that’s when we lost the game, in the opening ten minutes of the second half.
“But there is no nerves. I tried to explain to the players not to get too caught up with the league, don’t worry about what Hamilton or Hearts or any team around us, Ross County, are doing. Just try to maintain the focus on the job that we are doing. Just make sure we are at our best every time we go out on the field.
“That will give ourselves the best chance of picking up the points required.”