Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is relishing the chance to upset the ongoing narrative about his team in another derby against Rangers.
The Bhoys took care of the Ibrox side on their own patch back in September when few people gave Celtic a chance of picking up a result. All the hype was, amusingly, behind Michael Beale back then.
Then, in December, Rodgers’ outfit defeated Philippe Clement’s then-unbeaten side to secure another three derby points.
For the Celtic manager, there are similarities to what was being said about this upcoming derby compared to those and he’s taken careful public note of what’s being said heading into Sunday.
Rodgers would love nothing more than for his team to do their talking on the pitch once again and bust a few myths about Celtic’s direction of travel.
Brendan Rodgers on the perception of Celtic vs Rangers
He said in a media conference today: “The storyline for me is always about opportunity. I go back to the first derby this season when we went there. It wasn’t just a real good lesson in football but I think in life.
“In that first game, individually and collectively as a club we were written off arriving into Ibrox. It feels that the narrative is pretty much the same even though the form for both teams is four wins and a loss in the last five games.
“For us, it’s an opportunity to go there – like what we’ve done earlier in the season – and show that we have that mentality and that mental strength to get through any periods in the game that are difficult moments for us. And come through in the end.”
After a follow-up question on whether he feels his team are being written off again, Rodgers added: “I think it’s been the narrative for most of the season. That’s been the storyline really, whether it’s warranted or not. I think coming into this game it’s pretty much the same.”
Celtic boss has a fire in his belly
After being accused by some of going through the motions earlier in the season, Rodgers is coming across as a motivated individual eager to prove people wrong.
That’s no bad thing for Celtic. Any edge that can be found in these situations is welcome and if this is the message from Rodgers to the media, I’m sure similar things are being said behind the scenes to players and staff.
If that translates to a focused and energetic performance on the pitch then Celtic have every chance of picking up the required result this Sunday. Then what will they have left to say about Rodgers’ side this season?