Jackie McNamara would love to send Celtic into ‘crisis’ tomorrow.
In a decade of service at Celtic Park the versatile full-back lived through a number of crisis and cracked crests as he stopped 10-in-a-row and shared the successes of the Martin O’Neill era.
As a manager of Partick Thistle and Dundee United he has transformed both clubs with the current Tannadice side possibly the most talked about provincial side in a decade.
While Celtic celebrate another title and prepare for the Champions League McNamara is hoping to take Dundee United into the final of the Scottish Cup as well as finish second in the SPFL.
Looking at tomorrow’s opponents he said: “Celtic have convincingly won the league with a lot of games to spare. But there’s still pressure there and demands from the fans who come to watch them every week.
“So we know we’ll need to be at the top of our game.
“From their players’ point of view, there is still a lot to play for because they will want to be in the manager’s plans for next season. And that expectation will always be there at a club the size of Celtic.
“They drew at home to Ross County last weekend and as usual it was greeted like a crisis.
“That’s just the nature of the beast and their players have got to show they can handle it.
“It’s their mentality – and that’s what players everywhere else, including ourselves, have got to strive for in the long run.
“But as always we’re looking to get a positive result, especially at home. It’s a game we’re all looking forward to because we want to give a good account of ourselves.
“There’s always a danger facing Celtic that if you switch off they can hurt you. When playing against good players, concentration levels need to be spot on from start to finish.”