Hibs defender Paul McGinn has claimed that the noise inside Easter Road is part of the reason behind Celtic’s poor form at the venue in recent seasons. The full back was asked about the impact of the home support in the lead up to tonight’s clash with the Hoops, and he said: “It’s massive. It will be part of the reason why Celtic have such a bad record because the fans come in numbers, and they make a lot of noise. They all know that and the fact it’s a night game gives them time to go to the pub and have a few, so it should be nice and noisy!”
Given that the Bhoys failed to beat Hibs in the capital on their two visits behind closed doors last season, those claims may be dubious, but Postecoglou’s men certainly need to overcome whatever issues have prevented Celtic from taking maximum points in Leith since 2014.
Celtic have scored 23 goals in the SPFL this season, more than any other club in the league. Such threat going forward, against a team that have lost their last three fixtures in a row, could be promising. However, McGinn feels that Ange’s relentlessly attacking approach could play into the Hibees’ hands.
“They have got loads of attacking players, and they will come here and attack,” he said.
“Maybe that can suit us, we’re a good counter-attacking team. That might suit us, and I think it will be quite an attacking game, but ideally, clean sheets for us.”
We will find out how correct or otherwise McGinn’s comments are at 7.45pm this evening. Victory could see Celtic move within touching distance of top spot, as Aberdeen visit Ibrox tonight, whilst dropped points could set back the title challenge. Needless to say, it’s a must win for the Celts.