A Brechin City win at Celtic Park this afternoon would make Inverness Caley Thistle’s famous Scottish Cup victory over John Barnes’s side look decidedly second-rate.
The odds are stacked in the Hoops’ favour, as the team which hasn’t won a league game all season travels to the home of the team who has only lost one domestic match in recent memory.
Darren Dods knows that a cup upset at Parkhead is a long, long shot. But that won’t stop Brechin from giving it their best attempt.
“We’re in no doubt about how difficult it will be,” he said.
“I don’t think that Celtic team which lost to Inverness were anywhere near as good as this one.
“It’s an almighty task we have but it is 11 against 11 and strange things do happen in football.”
Dods insisted that parking their bus on the 18-yard line for 90-odd minutes can’t be the game-plan.
“St Mirren gave Celtic a good game last season when they pressed them high up the pitch,” he recalled.
“But that was full-time team against full-time team.
“We do have to try and get in their faces when we get the opportunity in good areas and drop off at other times.
“If you’re camped on the edge of your box for the whole game, Celtic have too much quality to not break you down.”
There are pluses and minuses for Brechin about the timing of the match.
Dods explained: “If it had been after the Rangers game that might have suited us because I think Brendan Rodgers admitted that his team were getting a bit tired.
“They’ll be fresh after their break in Dubai and because it’s their first game back he’ll probably play a strong team.
“Mind you, Brendan doesn’t really make as many changes as previous Celtic managers have and even if he does, it’s to bring in boys like Leigh Griffiths.
“Hopefully they might have come back from Dubai with the flu!”
Dods has a few players who have experience of playing at Celtic Park and he hopes the others will be inspired rather than daunted by their surroundings.
“Guys like Finn Graham and Euan Spark are only 21,” he said. “It will be their first time at Parkhead but they’ve played really well lately and you’re hoping that they produce the display of their lives.
“It would be great to go a goal up and see what happens after that.
“Whatever the result is, we want to come away from Parkhead with confidence to put in a good run of matches in the league.”
Callum Tapping is cup-tied, Connor McLennan has returned to Aberdeen for Derek McInnes to take a look at him but would have been injured anyway and Ryan McGeever is out for the season.
