Ross County manager Don Cowie ready for Celtic Park managerial bow

The Staggies are all set to go head-to-head with the Scottish champions after running them close earlier this season in Dingwall.

By Paul Chalk

November 28 2024, 7:00 pm

Don Cowie will experience Celtic Park for the first time as Ross County manager this weekend. Image: SNS.

Don Cowie has experienced the winning feeling with Ross County at Celtic Park – but not as the manager.

The odds will be stacked against the Dingwall club but Cowie would love to cause a major upset in Saturday’s Premiership meeting.

Over 43 competitive meetings stemming back to a 2-0 defeat in the Scottish Cup in January 2004, County have won five and drawn six.

The pick of those was a 2-0 Scottish Cup victory in 2010 at Hampden, which took the Staggies into the final where they lost 3-0 to Dundee United.

Former Scotland, County and Hearts midfielder Cowie had not long hung up his boots when he was part of the coaching team as Stuart Kettlewell’s side won 2-0 at Parkhead in the League Cup in November 2020.

Since then, Celtic have won 14 fixtures on the spin against County, but the last two have been by a single goal, including Cowie’s men losing 2-1 late on in Dingwall.

Don Cowie, right, with Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers. Image: SNS

Cowie plots shock against champions

Rodgers’ unbeaten Hoops, with 11 wins and one draw on the board, are two points clear of Aberdeen with a game in hand, while County are eighth in the table – but just three points outside the top half.

Celtic go into the match on the back of a 1-1 home draw against Club Brugge on Wednesday, which leaves them two points off the qualification spots in the Champions League.

Looking ahead to his first Parkhead game as the County boss, he said: “You always have that opportunity, and we believe in ourselves.

“At the same time, we recognise that we are playing against a Champions League team who are doing extremely well.

“They have quality individuals who are playing at the top of their game, but we will still go there and try to get the result we want.

“We will be ready. The boys are in a really good mood, and there’s a good vibe around the place after getting an important win (against Motherwell) on Saturday, so no matter who we were playing this week it was going to be about building on that.

“It just so happens that we’re against the champions away from home, so we’ll look forward to it.”

‘Clinical and ruthless in both boxes’

Cowie, who also had spells for Inverness, Watford, Cardiff City and Wigan Athletic during his career, explained what needs to happen for his team to have a chance.

He said: “Against the bigger teams, many factors need to go in your favour.

“You must be at your best, be resilient, show togetherness, and recognise there will be times when you will be challenged, and it will be difficult.

“As long as you are aware of that, and embrace it, you have to take the opportunity and be clinical when it comes along. You don’t get many opportunities there. That’s the key.

“We have to stick together and be ruthless and clinical in both boxes.”

Ready to play in front of 60,000 fans

County led against Celtic earlier in the season in Dingwall thanks to a Ronan Hale spot-kick but the visitors turned the game around to win 2-1.

Cowie believes that performance offers some confidence but knows facing the Hoops on their own patch tips the balance from the Highlanders.

He added: “The last game gives the group a reference in terms of what we’re capable of doing against the best team in the country.

“But this is a different game, at their stadium, on a bigger pitch with 60,000 fans, so you must take that into account.

“But it is still just a game of football, and the boys showed against them this season that when you get things right and try to nullify as many threats as they’ve got, then we believe we can score goals.

“We did that, and it gives you the opportunity to get the result you want.”