There’ll be no Euro hangover for visiting Celts
Stuart Kettlewell insists Celtic’s highenergy Europa League endeavours will have no beneficial effects for Ross County in today’s Dingwall showdown.
With Neil Lennon’s men clinching a historic group victory with the defeat of Rennes on Thursday night, they have had less than 72 hours to regroup and refresh for comparatively mundane league action.
But Kettlewell, the County co-manager alongside Steven Ferguson, insists Celtic’s character, mettle and the presence of a Rangers side breathing down their necks domestically, ensures there will be no flagging from the champions.
Kettlewell, looking to improve on a 6-0 battering at Celtic Park last month, said: “From our perspective, it is just the Old Firm continually pushing each other on.
“Irrespective of the time between games, I think that’s one of their strengths – the ability to just continually knock out performances.
“Whether or not that’s a 72-hour rest period between games, I think they find themselves in such a fluency.
“It’s something I’m a great believer in. I’d rather play a Saturday-Tuesday or a Sunday-Wednesday every single week, because you start to find that level of consistency.
“I think it’s clear to see from Celtic’s result, and performance, on Thursday night it is something these guys are more than capable of doing.
“Their international players went away last week with their respective countries and turned in the same level of performance.
“That’s why Celtic are the top team in the country. That’s why everybody finds it so difficult against them.”
There was uncertainty as to whether top scorer Odsonne Edouard, one of those absent against Rennes, would return for the Highland game, or remain in respite for the Betfred Cup Final next week.
Either way, Kettlewell’s only consideration regarding the Frenchman’s presence or absence is stylistic, with a Leigh Griffiths or Lewis Morgan in attack likely to present a different kind of threat.
Kettlewell stressed: “On Thursday night, they made one or two changes and brought in top-level players.
“But Neil Lennon, all season, has pretty much stuck by an XI where you generally get maybe one player dropping out.
“That’s a great place to be in as a club, and something I’ve always been a huge believer in.”