Hoops' Highlands Hunt

Hoops' Highlands Hunt
~~~~~~~~~~ Official TC Match Preview ~~~~~~~~~~


Kasper Scmeichel is on the cusp of creating a slice of Celtic clean sheet history on Sunday


Victoria Park, Dingwall
Sunday, 6 October 2024
12.00 BST

Celtic head north to the Highlands this weekend, in search of a 7th straight Premiership win, when they take on Ross County, ahead of the International break.

The Bhoys will be looking to put the Borussia Dortmund result behind them, and getting back into the winning groove as soon as possible is undoubtedly the best way to do this.

While Celtic's overall perfect start to the season came to an abrupt end on Tuesday, it is still very much in tact on the various domestic fronts, not least of which in the League where Celtic have won all 6 of their games so far - all of which by at least a 2 goal margin, and all without having conceded even a single goal so far.

So dominant have the Hoops been, another clean sheet on Sunday will set a new club record for the most consecutive to start a league season - a tally that has stood for almost 120 years, since 1906/07, when Tom Sinclair played his only 6 league games for the club!

With the International break immediately to follow Sunday's match, there will be time and opportunity to reflect on the progress that has been made over the past couple of months, but equally important to Brendan Rodgers is the fact that a win against County will be the first step in restoring confidence that surely took a hit earlier this week.


Daizen Maeda has been in tremendous form in all aspects of his game so far this season

While Celtic have history in their sights, the hosts come into this game on the back of a three game undefeated run since the last International break. But that only tells part of the story, as they continue to struggle to convert commendable draws into valuable wins.

The victory against Dundee three weeks ago was the Highlanders' first and only win since the beginning of May at the end of last season, and since then the last two games have both required late, late drama, as County experienced both the elation and frustration in equal measure as they have had to share the spoils.

County required two late goals to * a point against St Johnstone a fortnight ago as the sides finished 3-3, and last weekend the Staggies put up a strong defensive effort as they attempted to hold on to a 1-0 lead, but their efforts were thwarted by Hearts deep into time added on, to once again finishing with honours even, 1-1.

The turnaround that the Staggies have undergone since Don Cowie took over should be noted, especially considering the mess that he inherited. Under the previous manager, Derek Adams, they were floundering terribly, having taken just 2 points from a possible 30 during his short tenure, that was characterized by outragous comments and outbursts, which clearly effected morale.

By contrast, under Cowie the Staggies have become increasingly difficult to defeat, especially at home. They've lost just twice in the 15 games (W8 D5 L2) at Dingwall since he took over, back in February. Considering the resources at his disposal, that deserves recognition.

That said, Victoria Park is a ground where Celtic have a strong record and have won 9 of the past 10 visits there - including the past 6 straight - and the Bhoys will be favoured to add to that record once again, this weekend.​

Brendan Rodgers has a personal record of 8 wins and 1 draw against Ross County

By the Numbers​

• Celtic come into this game on the back of 12 consecutive league wins - including the first 6 of this campaign.

• The Hoops have won all of the last 11 consecutive meetings (10 League & 1 League Cup) against the Staggies.

• Kasper Schmeichel could set a new club record for consecutive clean sheets at the start to a league season (currently tied at 6 with Tommy Sinclair in his only 6 league games for Celtuc, in 1906/07).

• County have won just 1 of their past 10 League games overall (W1 D6 L3) stretching back into last season.

• Since Don Cowie took over in February, the Staggies' 'Home' form has seen them lose just twice in 15 played at Victoria Park, across all competitions (W8 D5 L2).

January: Alistair Johnston's deflected first minute strike secured a 1-0 win when these sides last met

Team News

While Celtic will likely continue to be without Cameron Carter-Vickers (foot), there are also doubts concerning Alistair Johnston, who has been omitted by the Canadian NT squad, with manager Jesse Marsch explaining that the fullback is rehabbing a back injury, which would suggest Anthony Ralston is likely to start this weekend.​

As for the hosts, club captain Ricki Lamie and midfielder Max Shaef remain sidelined as they continue their respective rehab progress, while George Harmon (ankle) will not require surgery, but is still likely to be out until mid-December at the earliest.

Referee: Kevin Clancy

The 40y.o has officiated 216 Premiership games since his debut in April 2012. This will be his first time taking charge of a Celtic league game this season; the only previous being the 3-1 League Cup win over Hibs in August.

Celtic Overall Record with Clancy
M:56 W:41 D:8 L:7

VAR: Nick Walsh



~~~~ Head to Head ~~~~

Overall
P: 42 W: 31 D: 6 L: 5​

Last 5 Meetings
W W W W W

~~~~ 2022/23 Form ~~~~

All Comps
L W W W W ~ D D W L L

SPFL
W W W W W ~ D D W L L​