Belief is key to a cup miracle, says McCann

NEIL McCANN may have the belief his Dundee side can end Celtic’s invincible status — but he admits that hammering the same conviction into his players is the key to a cup shock.

Brendan Rodgers’ side arrive on Tayside this evening on an astonishing 55-game unbeaten domestic run. Few expect them to come a cropper at Dens Park.

Yet, buoyed by the 3-2 win over St Johnstone at the weekend, which hoisted his side off bottom spot, McCann insists there is no need to fear the inevitable before a ball has even been kicked.

‘Somebody has got to stop them — absolutely,’ said McCann. ‘I would probably say that every other manager who has come up against Brendan domestically has thought: “It’s going to be us”.

‘Ultimately the players have got to believe it. I can give them all the encouragement and tactics you want but when they cross the line they’ve got to reach inside.

‘They have got to 100 per cent believe that themselves.

‘Depending on which way the game is going, that will actually have an impact on their mindset.

‘They have got to believe they can do it. I know the size of the task but I don’t have any fear.

‘I’ve got massive respect for Celtic as a team. I know Brendan has spoken about only keeping the same side once and that shows you what you’re up against, that they can afford to change formations and can afford to change personnel and get the same results to go so long unbeaten domestically.

‘So I know what we face but I’ve got belief in my team if we set up right, in a way that we’re hard to break down.

‘But what I don’t want to do is set them up in a way that we’re hard to break down but don’t have anything going forward.

‘I just think that’s wrong. We’re a team that’s trying to do the right things, so I’m not going to change how I want to play because we’re playing Celtic. That would go against everything I believe in. I’m determined to move the club forward.

‘That being said, we won’t go trying to play Celtic at their own game because I’m honest enough to say there would only be one winner there.

‘But there are other ways to win a game of football.’

Dundee won their first league match of the season at the weekend and McCann has urged the home fans to show patience.

‘After five minutes on Saturday, I’m hearing our own fans booing and moaning because we’re trying to play from the back and build attacks,’ he said.

‘That takes bravery because on the back of five games where we picked up just one point — against a team who were sitting third at the time and had taken a point at Celtic Park — we’re not just going to play into their hands by banging the ball forward.

‘I’m not going to criticise the Dundee fans. They’ve always been brilliant with me. Every fan, at every club I’ve been at, I hear them getting disgruntled at times.

‘I can understand because all they’re thinking is we’re bringing undue pressure on ourselves by playing out from the back.

‘Fans can have an enormous impact on a player, both positive and negative. I know that myself.

‘If things are not going well and the fans are on your back, that’s when the brave players continue to try to play in a style that I want them to play in.

‘On the whole, the fans have been excellent since I took over and I expect them to be like that again on Wednesday.’

It may not be just the home fans McCann has to concern himself with, however. The 43-year-old grew up supporting Celtic but controversially joined Rangers in 1998 in a £1.9million deal from Hearts. And he admitted he’s been the subject of attention in the past from the Parkhead faithful.

‘I expect a warm welcome,’ said McCann. ‘I always get the same adulation from Celtic fans.

‘After leaving Rangers, I played against them (Celtic) with Hearts and Falkirk. So there’s nothing that they can say to me that I haven’t heard before.

‘And I’ve heard some disgusting, despicable things said. Nothing they will say will bother me.

‘All I care about is my team.’