Parkhead fans tipped to become disadvantage for Celtic

Celtic have a break from Premiership action this weekend, as they return in their quest to defend the Scottish Cup. The Hoops face Livingston at home in the quarterfinal, with Brendan Rodgers hoping for his side to bounce back after they let their chance to go top of the league slip, losing 2-0 against Hearts.

Celtic have faced Livingston twice already this season, with great success. They won both games and hold a 5-0 aggregate lead over David Martindale's side, who are bottom of the Premiership right now.

Of course, the Scottish Cup can be a different ball game entirely. But Celtic have to be considered favourites, particularly with the home advantage.

Still, Livingston are expected to make things difficult. They are bottom of the Scottish Premiership table, so the Scottish Cup might be their chance to get some positivity back into their campaign.

Parkhead fans tipped to become disadvantage for Celtic

Celtic will have the home advantage this weekend but it could end up becoming a disadvantage as well. As reported by the Daily Record, Livingston hero Stuart Lovell said:

""As a manager you’ve got to try and think about what’s going to make them uncomfortable and it’s Celtic’s own backyard."

“They’ve got the crowd behind them, which is a huge advantage. So how can you flip it on its head and say ‘if it’s still 0-0 after 20 minutes, the crowd aren’t going to be happy’. They’re coming to see a glut of goals and expecting to see Celtic steamroller Livi.

“If Livi are able to set their stall out and make themselves hard to break down and get to the 20-25 minute mark and try and catch their breath – which is always the difficult part – then of course the advantage for Celtic with the home crowd behind them becomes a disadvantage. Then you can play on that."

Of course, Celtic are not invincible. They have shown higher levels of inconsistency this season, so the game could go either way.

Also, it is undeniable that the fans are getting impatient with the results. The 7-0 win over Dundee FC had raised hopes but it proved to be a false dawn, as the Hoops lost their very next match in disappointing fashion. If they make a slow start against Livingston, the Parkhead atmosphere might become tense quickly.

Lovell is an Aussie hero who knows what it takes to succeed at a club like Livingston. After all, as a player for the club, he won the Scottish League Cup in 2004.

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