Staggi es: Ga rdynep lays it cool as champions come to town.

● Staggies winger is staying wary of wounded Hoops in test game

Criticism of Celtic’s start to the season does not wash with Ross County winger Michael Gardyne. The Hoops go into today’s Dingwall encounter with the Staggies six points behind Premiership leaders Rangers, albeit having played two games fewer.

Celtic also suffered an early second qualifying round exit from the Champions League at the hands of Hungarian outfit Ferencvaros.

Gardyne, who began his career at Parkhead, insists the criticism underlines the expectation of the Celtic fanbase and he does not sense any added opportunity for the Dingwall men to catch the champions cold.

Gardyne, pictured above left, said: “It’s just usual fans, isn’t it? The Old Firm fans have high demands, but I know Neil Lennon quite well and I’d imagine the aims of the management are higher than the fans themselves.

“I don’t think you can ever look at it as being as good a chance as any to beat them. It is Celtic at the end of the day.

“They’re going to come here with a squad jampacked with international players. Players on international duty this week have all done well and have been scoring.

“It will be the usual Celtic, confident; but it is one of those where we will work hard on our defensive shape this week and look at what we can do to hurt them.”

County will host a home crowd for the first time this season, having been granted permission to stage a test event with 300 supporters inside Victoria Park.

The permanent return of fans has been delayed however, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon putting back the indicative date for spectators to attend sporting events to

October 5. But Gardyne does not feel his side will need the return of crowds to lift themselves for the visit of the Hoops.

The 34-year-old added: “Obviously it’s all been a bit weird playing without fans.

“Even if it is just 300, it will be good to get some fans back in – for the players and the supporters themselves.

“It has been different. It takes you back to the reserve days.

“That’s a long time ago now, because I’m an old man, but it does remind me of that.

“It’s first team now and Celtic this weekend – we’re playing for points and livelihoods. Once the whistle goes, you kind of zone out and go into game mode.

“It’s not affected me as much as I thought it might. Playing Celtic at home I don’t think you need much more of a lift than that.

“It is maybe a little bit of a positive that they won’t have their own backing, but we’re playing Celtic at home.

“If you can’t get up for that then you shouldn’t be playing football.”

Gardyne feels Stuart Kettlewell’s side will have to strike a fine balance between defending and attacking in order to secure a result today.

He added: “We’ve worked on our defensive shape and where we need to be on the pitch when Celtic have the ball.

“But we also need to think about trying to hurt them. You can’t just go into these games and defend because it then just turns into waves of attack.

“At times in the game, it will be like that but you’ll always get that 15 or 20-minute spell when you need to try to take advantage.

“It works both ways. We’ll need to be on our guard as always against Celtic or Rangers but try to hurt them as well.”