Celtic and Rangers meet once more in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, with the reigning champions looking to recover from last weekend’s 3-0 Premier Sports Cup quarter-final defeat at Ibrox and a 3-1 Europa League setback against Ferencvaros.
Those poor results have increased the scrutiny on Martin O’Neill’s team, although Celtic can still stretch their advantage over Rangers to eight points with a victory.
However, a third consecutive defeat would allow Rangers to close the gap to only two points.
O’Neill insisted his side are fully prepared, despite enduring two demanding matches in quick succession.
He dismissed concerns about confidence, pointing out that Celtic remain top of the league and have an opportunity to strengthen their position before the international break.
Nevertheless, he acknowledged that entering the break after three straight losses would be far from ideal.
The manager called for greater creativity from his players and believes the home support can help them produce a strong response.
The defeat at Ibrox also raised doubts about whether some recent recruits understood the significance of the fixture, particularly as several newcomers have struggled to influence major matches.
O’Neill accepted that the new arrivals may require more time to settle, but said their experience in the previous meeting should have made the intensity and importance of the rivalry clear.
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