Ange Postecoglou has revealed his title chasing Celtic will practise on plastic in a bid to shatter their Spaghettihad hoodoo.
The Hoops boss is ready to unleash target man Giorgos Giakoumakis as the look to end a 15-year winless run in West Lothian against Livingston on Sunday.
And Postecoglou will also get his squad out on the artificial surface at Lennoxtown on Saturday so there will be no repeat of the defeat in the Lions den last September.
Celtic have failed to win in their last five trips along the M8 going back to 2007 but the table toppers haven’t lost in the league since their last visit back in September.
The Tony Macaroni Arena strikes fear into supporters but Postecoglou doesn’t buy any talk of a hex and is more concerned with getting his players prepared for the synthetic surface.
He raised eyebrows for shunning a warm up on Bodo’s Astro before the Conference defeat.
But the Parkhead gaffer – who picked up the manager of the month gong for February – said: “We will address it. We have an artificial pitch at Lennoxtown and we will train on that on Saturday.
“We will get the players an understanding of it again, but ultimately it’s about the way we approach our football.
“On an artificial pitch there are still fundamental principles of our game that we can do.
“What we didn’t do at Livingston last time are those things.
“We got bogged down in the disappointment that the game wasn’t going our way, without looking for the solutions.
“It’s going to be there and players need to address that and adjust to it.
“It is a real thing – the pitch plays differently. There is no point trying to ignore it.
“I can tell the players to ignore it and play their normal game, but you do have to adjust.
“It becomes a little bit of a different game on that surface and the players need to be prepared for that.
“But that doesn’t mean it stops you from being successful.
“You just have to adjust your game and your approach, so that it removes any negative impact the pitch has on our football.”
Postecoglou has binned any talk of a hoodoo and won’t be digging out any lucky charms.
He said: “It’s all more indicative of the fact they are a good side. There is no doubt it will be a challenge for us but I don’t go there wearing my lucky socks or anything!
“We will go there and prepare the best way we can for the game
“To be fair, I’ve only had one visit there. ‘Bogey’ would be if I go there half a dozen times and don’t win.
“I was disappointed back then because we didn’t play well and deal with the situation.
“It was also our third defeat in the first six league games and you knew we would have to be pretty good after that to make up the ground.
“Credit to the fellas, they have been.”
Postecoglou could let loose Giakoumakis to give Celts a physical edge against the rugged Lions with the big Greek back in business after not being risked in the midweek win against St Mirren.
The manager said: “Giorgos is fine. He trained on Thursday and Friday.
“He was touch and go for the midweek game but I made the decision to leave him out, as we had Albian Ajeti on the bench. He will be ready.
“He has been in good form and he will be important for us on Sunday.
“Giorgos is playing well and it’s been a setback for him to miss the last couple of games, but he can definitely help us.
“What’s important as a group and a team is that we approach the game in the right way.”
Postecoglou bagged the Premiership manager of the month award fro the second month on the spin and made sure his backroom team shared in the success.
The Aussie dragged in his analysts for the photo op and said: “It’s important that everyone gets recognition. I am the frontman but these guys are working their backsides off on a daily basis to give me and the players the information we need to make decisions.
“They are crucial and when you get a manager of the month award I totally understand that’s not recognition of me and my work.
“That’s recognition of the whole staff’s work as for all intents and purposes, they spend more time with the players than I do.”
