CIS Cup For Starters?

​

Celtic travel to Tannadice Park to face Dundee United on Sunday afternoon for Setanta's live offering from the SPL this weekend. A notoriously difficult place for any side to visit whilst United have been under the tutelage of Craig Levein, the Bhoys will be well aware of the dangers of dropping further points in the race to the title. Further significance is also attached to the result considering there's every likelihood Rangers will be at the summit come kick off having played the day before.

Levein has overseen a drastic turnaround in fortunes whilst he has been in charge at the Terrors, proving to be more than a challenge for both halves of the Old Firm on numerous occasions and indeed is yet to lose to Celtic this term. The untimely death of the man that brought him to the club and the man who would become his good friend, Eddie Thompson, doesn't appear to have had that great an adverse effect on the park.

Levein - Highly Impressive
​

The Celtic squad, off the back of the massive CIS cup victory over their nearest rivals, should be brimming with confidence for what is shaping up to be a nail-biting run in. Having led by 7 points after defeating Rangers at Ibrox at the end of December, they then threw that advantage away with a prolonged display of stuttering performances. The top spot was only regained following Rangers defeat to Terry Butcher's Inverness Caledonian Thistle side at home whilst a Scott McDonald inspired Hoops side picked up the 3 points at Rugby Park at the start of this month. 'Skippy', as he is affectionately coined by the Celtic support, will no doubt be the man Gordon Strachan looks to again to provide the firepower to pick up all 3 points.

Celtic will rely heavily on the Aussie once again.

Sundays match could very well see Willo Flood, Celtics major January transfer window signing, facing the side which gave his career a kickstart whilst on loan from Cardiff the past 2 seasons. The young Irishman has seen his game time limited at Parkhead thus far but having proved himself more than capable of handling SPL football it will surely be a matter of time before he gets his chance to make his mark.

Young Irishman could start at Tannadice
​

The game itself takes on huge importance for both sides then as one chases the title and the other, sitting precariously 4 points away from the bottom 6, hope to retain their now regular place in the top half following the split.

Strachan will be hoping the defeat to St Mirren a fortnight ago, which saw the Hoops tumble out of the Scottish cup, was simply a bad day at the office whilst Levein will be doing everything in his power to preserve his good record against the best the SPL has to offer. The Celtic fans have every right to believe their cup victory was simply for starters and if their beloved team show the stomach for the main course the title is theirs for the taking, starting at Tannadice.​