St Johnstone have suffered against Celtic in recent seasons. Really suffered.
The running total for the last two seasons sits at 27-0 to the Hoops.
But Callum Davidson believes a weekend clash with the league champions isn’t actually a bad fixture for his team given their current circumstances.
The Perth boss is seeking to evolve Saints from a side dominating games but finding a way to lose to one that secures points however they may come.
Being overwhelming underdogs in Sunday’s live Sky Sports match, with less possession than their opponents for a change, might be what the McDiarmid Park men need to do just that.
“People don’t give you a chance to win or get anything from games against Celtic,” said Davidson. “I think it’s a good game for us.
“We’ll go into the game with a positive attitude. It’s up to us to take the game to them and try to get a result.
“I’ve been here before when we’ve beaten Celtic so it’s not outside the realms of possibility.
“But they are a very good team with a strong squad. Even with playing in Europe on Thursday, they can still put out a really good team.
“They’ve changed their system a wee bit. We’ll have a good look at them this week and come up with a plan.”
Zander Clark made his first appearance of the season at Livingston on Saturday and couldn’t be faulted for either of the hosts’ two goals.
It was an assured return for the Saints goalkeeper.
Davidson admitted, though, that it was with the bigger picture in mind, rather than Elliott Parish’s performances, that he arrived at the decision to drop his back-up at West Lothian.
“Elliott had done well but I just wanted to change things a bit,” he explained.
“Zander has proven his fitness and looked back to full sharpness.
“It was unfortunate for Elliott who has proved himself to be a good stand-in for Zander.
“If we had won the games we had deserved to, it might have been a different story. I think Zander would have had to be more patient.”
Craig Bryson wasn’t deemed fit enough to make the match-day squad at the weekend but that should change on Sunday. Callum Booth could also be in contention for a place on the bench.
“Bryson and Booth will both be training this week and available for selection,” said Davidson. “Hopefully I’ll have a full squad to select from.”
Meanwhile, Davidson remains optimistic he can make one more signing before the transfer window closes in a few days.
“We’re still in the market with over a week left,” he said. “We are looking to strengthen the squad.
“Hopefully I can get a new face in and give the lads a little bit of a lift to make sure we kick on for the rest of the season.”
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