Foster knows it is possible to reverse being on the end of a Celts doing
Richard Foster has been trying to shoot down one, or both, halves of the Old Firm for almost half his life – and knows there is no silver bullet.
But the 34-year-old former Aberdeen, Rangers and St Johnstone defender insists there are simple rules of engagement.
Hard work, concentration, tireless running and a bit of extra muscle, while breathing down opponents’ necks, can all combine to good effect.
Above all, though, there needs to be a healthy dose of good luck.
Ross County’s summer signing knows the Staggies might need a fair dash of good fortune in Dingwall today as the Premiership’s leakiest defence meets its most-lethal attack.
The fiery full-back was only 18 when Henrik Larsson & Co. first tutored him on those harsh truths.
In only his third senior Aberdeen appearance, in October 2003, the great Swede sank a hat-trick past Steve Paterson’s Dons, while Chris Sutton rattled in the fourth from the penalty spot.
Much to Foster’s delight, though, the tables turned on Aberdeen’s next trip to Celtic Park.
In April 2004, a Larsson first-half opener seemed to point towards another Celtic walkover. But second-half replies from Bryan Prunty and David Zdrilic grasped an unlikely win.
With a clutch of shocks against Celtic and Rangers down the years, Foster is hardly going to write off his current team on the back of last month’s 6-0 beating at Parkhead.
He said: “That first time I played Celtic, we took a heavy defeat.
“Back in the day, you could easily lose four or five. Or you could beat them if they were a bit off-colour.
“When we bounced back to beat them, we actually had a young team and a lot of injuries. But they were not quite at it. It was a bit of a freak result.
“But we were determined and dogged, and fought for every ball – and we have to do that today.
“That win actually ended Celtic’s home record of over 100 home games without defeat. Barcelona, Ajax and, I think, AC Milan had come to Parkhead and not won.
“Then we turn up, a team of rag-tag nobodies from Aberdeen, and beat them 2-1. It was a good night.
“These are the experiences you try to draw on when you face them and, hopefully, it goes the same way.
“You either hope they turn up expecting to win, and don’t give 100%, or you hope we
can somehow knock them off their stride.
“Either way, you can’t let them get into full flow, because once they get up and running there’s just no way to stop them.
“There’s no magic formula. It’s just about working hard and trying to get as close to them as possible.
“We have to make contact. And, by that, I don’t mean fouling them.
“If you give any player in this league time on the ball, they are going to cause you problems.
“But if you give these Celtic players time on the ball, they are going to annihilate you.
“They have done that to us already this season, because I don’t think we ever really put in a tackle or caused them any problems.
“That’s something we’ll be trying to rectify this time.”
In the years of Rangers’ financial demise, with Celtic sleepwalking to titles, there was a sense the gap had narrowed between the champions and the rest.
Foster insists those days are gone. It is like the Martin O’Neill and Dick Advocaat years all over the again.
He said: “Celtic and Rangers are back to where they used to be.
“The mindset, even when I was at Aberdeen, was that we would go down to Parkhead and only take four. They were that dominant.
“They are back to that level. So if you are not fully at it, and they are on top form, you can be on the end of a doing.
“That’s all the motivation we need to try to knock them off their stride a little bit.
“I’ve said to the guys that I’ve been to Parkhead with worse teams than us and won.
“It comes from a determination to do your job and help your team-mates out. But Celtic do need to have an off-day.”