Ross County

Image source, SNS

Despite taking no points back to Dingwall, Ross County keeper George Wickens could still leave Celtic Park with his head held high. Not many keepers save two penalties in one match, let one alone on their league debut.

"I think it was a brilliant opportunity for me to come in and show what I can do, and I feel as though I showed that today," on-loan Fulham keeper Wickens said.

"I think the penalty saves obviously helps, but at the end of the day, we didn't get the result we wanted to, but we can take plenty of confidence from that performance into the upcoming fixtures, which are obviously very important for us."

Wickens denied Luis Palma twice from the spot, after his first penalty was retaken due to County encroachment.

"Us and the goalkeeper coaches as a department, we go through it a couple of days before the game and base it off percentages. That was what I felt with the first one. The second one, it was a bit more gut instinct and going the same way, and luckily it went the right way twice."

The 22-year-old keeper is one of six loan players Derek Adams has brought in this transfer window, and described the move as a "no-brainer".

"As a young player, you can't look at location too much. I just want to come and play football, and wherever that is I'd take the opportunity.

"To come up here and get the exposure in those games was a big pull. I was lucky enough to speak to Derek Adams a year or two ago when he was at Morecambe. To reignite that and have those similar conversations with him, it was a no brainer for me.

County fans, were you at Celtic Park to watch your side's narrow defeat, or were you following along from home?

Either way, we want your thoughts on the game. Have your say here.

Image source, SNS

George O'Neill, BBC Sport Scotland

When Celtic went in front as early as they did, against a side who have been as poor as County have recently, one would have been forgiven for expecting a procession.

It was far from that. Abada and Palma had cross after cross cut out, and the less said about Palma's penalties the better.

Perhaps a bigger concern for Celtic was that Kyogo Furuhashi was a passenger. The Japan striker is Celtic's biggest attacking threat, but he had just 16 touches in the game. They have to find a way to utilise his talents more.

Still, a win is a win, and Celtic are keeping Rangers at arm's length in the title race.

For County, Adams will take plenty of positives from this performance. His team played with structure and discipline, caused problems from set-pieces, and posed a threat on the break when they they were able to turn over possession.

They now have to find a way to deliver that level on a regular basis. If they do, they should be able to climb the table and alleviate any fears of relegation.

Image source, SNS

Ross County manager Derek Adams: "It doesn't happen many times that a team comes here and has such good opportunities. We hit the bar, Joe Hart makes a great save towards the end and, on another day, we could have done better.

"I thought my players were magnificent today. Their work ethic - in and out of possession, they were very good. To come here and cause the Celtic crowd to panic a wee bit was what we tried to do.

"What we take from the game is how well we were organised, how well we played on the counter-attack and the chances we created."

Celtic: Hart, A Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Bernabei, McGregor, O'Riley, Bernardo, Abada, Palma, Kyogo.

Substitutes: Bain, Kuhn, Turnbull, Holm, Nawrocki, Vata, Ralston, Welsh, M Johnston.

Ross County: Wickens, Brown, Nightingale, Ayina, Borthwick-Jackson, Loturi, King, Khela, Jenks, Dhanda, Murray.

Substitutes: Laidlaw, Sims, Sheaf, Harmon, Henderson, White, Brophy, Reid.

Celtic have defender Cameron Carter-Vickers back from injury and winger Nicolas Kuhn is in line for a debut but Greg Taylor drops out with a calf problem. Reo Hatate, Oh Hyeon-gyu, Yang Hyun-jun and Daizen Maeda are on Asian Cup duty.

Ross County could introduce new loan signings Loick Ayina and Teddy Jenks. Jack Baldwin is suspended and injured, midfielder Scott Allardice is out for three months, while Ryan Leak has had an x-ray on his ankle and Will Nightingale returned to parent club Wimbledon for an injection in his knee. Ross Callachan and Dylan Smith remain out.

Did you know? Since beating Celtic in February 2021, Ross County have lost to the Glasgow side 10 times in a row.

Now in his third spell in charge in Dingwall, Derek Adams has already endured the full gamut of emotions associated with the role.

An upturn in results was followed by a late loss to Dundee that prompted Adams to strongly criticise the standard of the Scottish top flight.

And, after Saturday's Scottish Cup defeat by Championship visitors Partick Thistle, Adams admitted he may have underestimated the size of the task after replacing Malky Mackay.

County have lost 10 in a row against Celtic since their last win - 1-0 at home in 2020.

However, Adams can draw fond memories of earlier meetings, having overseen a 2010 Scottish Cup semi-final win and a 3-2 league victory - coming from two goals down - in 2013.

Even so, halting Celtic's current run of five wins in a row in all competitions will take an almighty effort from the Highlanders considering they have not won in five overall and six away from Dingwall.

Image source, SNS

• Celtic have won 17 of their last 18 league matches against Ross County (L1).

• Ross County have never beaten Celtic at Celtic Park in the top-flight, losing 14 of their 17 visits and drawing the other three. They have failed to score in eight of their last 10 such trips, scoring a combined three goals while conceding 33.

• After losing back-to-back matches against Kilmarnock and Hearts, Celtic have since won each of their last four league matches, keeping three clean sheets in the process.

• Ross County have won just one of their nine away league matches this season (D4 L4); only St Johnstone (0) have won fewer matches on the road in the Scottish Premiership this term.

• Celtic’s Paulo Bernardo has been directly involved in four goals in his last three matches in the Scottish Premiership, scoring two and assisting two.

Image source, SNS

Ross County have secured Loick Ayina on loan from Huddersfield Town for the rest of the season.

The 20-year-old centre-back spent the second half of last season on loan at Dundee United, making 12 league appearances as they were relegated to the Scottish Championship.

Image source, Getty Images

Ross County have announced the signing of midfielder Teddy Jenks on loan from Forest Green Rovers until the end of the season.

The 21-year-old started his career at Brighton and has played in Scotland before, during a loan spell at Aberdeen in the 2021-22 season.

Jenks has struggled for minutes in League Two recently, and moves to Dingwall in search of a starting spot.

It's a big challenge for Ross County in their return to Premiership action.

There's plenty of new faces at Derek Adams' disposal for the trip to Celtic Park.

Who would you like to see in the starting line-up? Pick your team here.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, SNS

Derek Adams insists he's "delighted" to be at Ross County after some questioned whether the manager regretted taking the job in recent days.

It comes after the 48-year-old told BBC Scotland that he had a bigger task on his hands in Dingwall that he had first anticipated.

Asked about the insinuation that he was having second thoughts, he said: “I’ve been at this football club twice as a player, now three times as a manger.

“I know all about the football club and it’s a football club I love. I’ve been here for many years so that’s as best as I can answer that question.

“Why would I have come here in the first place? Because I want to be here. I’ve been here in the past and that’s the reason the chairman and the CEO have been very helpful in that move. [I’m] delighted to be here.

"Everyone’s disappointed that we haven’t been getting the wins. It’s been happening here for a while. It doesn’t take me to say it, the supporters are saying it.

"We have to see change on the field of the play. The players are responsible, the manger is responsible. We need to see a change in performances, wins and results to get ourselves up the table. We’re all culpable in that."

Image source, SNS

Andrew Thomson, BBC Scotland

Ross County manager Derek Adams has been speaking to the media ahead of Saturday's trip to Celtic Park.

Here are the key points...

• When asked about his controversial comments at the weekend, he says he's "delighted" to be at County and his five spells there as a player and a manager shows how much he knows and loves the club.

• Says "we're all responsible" for changing the side's fortunes and lifting the club up the table in the second half of the season.

• Working on deals ahead of Saturday, saying that he has deals "in place", but things not to be "ironed out" before they become official.

• Understands that Celtic is a "difficult game", saying his team will try and cause a shock in Glasgow.

• Ryan Leak is getting a scan after injuring his ankle against Partick Thistle, while Scott Allardice will be out for three months as he prepares to get knee surgery.

Image source, BBC Sport

Ross Morren, The County Corner, external

Ross County’s Scottish Cup hoodoo continued as they were knocked out of the competition following a disastrous 3-0 defeat by Partick Thistle.

When the sides previously met back in June during the Premiership play-off Final, County fans left jubilant as they secured their top-flight status for the upcoming season. On the other hand, Partick Thistle fans headed back down the A9 deflated following the dramatic comeback from the home side.

On Saturday, those emotions were reversed in the away end as the travelling support were in party mode as they watched their side dish out some revenge from the play-off final. County fans were full of praise for the character their side showed during that comeback in June, but they looked like a shadow of that side and were second best all over the park against Thistle.

Home fans want to avoid any play-off drama this season following survival by the skin of our teeth, but after back-to-back 3-0 defeats to start 2024, they’ll be full of fear after witnessing their side emphatically beaten by the side they avoided relegation against seven months earlier.

Following the match, Derek Adams hit the headlines for a post-match interview once again.

Adams confirmed the manager’s job at County is much bigger than he first anticipated, and hinted that he would have had second thoughts on taking the job if he had done more homework on things going on behind the scenes.

It’s safe to say he has been pretty outspoken since his return to Dingwall and across his career in general, so County fans are pretty used to it. However, the fans made their dissatisfaction with the performance and result well known both at half-time and full-time, and Adams’ post-match comments went on to anger some even further.

His comments have put him and the club in the spotlight once again and with a daunting trip to Glasgow to face Celtic on the horizon, many people across Scottish football will be interested to see how his side tackle that task following Saturday’s disappointment.

Ross County manager Derek Adams will assess the extent of the recruitment needed before the January transfer window closes after his side's Scottish Cup exit. (Press & Journal), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, SNS

The SPFL say the draft report of an independent review of the league's operations shows it complies "with significant elements of the UK Code of Corporate Governance".

The review was commissioned in July after the SPFL's chairman Murdoch MacLennan apologised to Rangers as a dispute over sponsorship was concluded.

The SPFL agreed a deal with car firm cinch in 2021 but Rangers did not promote the deal and took the matter to court, citing a prior agreement with rival car retailer Park's of Hamilton.

"I am reassured but not complacent," said MacLennan of the review.

"We will now take time to consider Henderson Loggie's detailed recommendations before bringing suggested changes back to the 42 SPFL member clubs for their consideration.

“Whilst a number of the recommendations from the draft report are already being addressed, the board and the wider organisation will, of course, take all necessary steps to improve further on the excellent work which has been undertaken to date."