Kennedy: Celtic can find level to win Old Firm cup tie

Celtic caretaker manager John Kennedy believes his side can find the level required to put Rangers out of the cup on Sunday.

The club will travel to Ibrox to take on the Premiership champions for a place in the Scottish Cup Quarter Finals.

And Kennedy says his team can show that the gap between the Glasgow sides might not be “as big as people may think”.

He said: “It’s a cup game and on our day we can be the best performing team in the country, because we have that level in us.

“I have said several times that Rangers deserved to win the league, they have won the most points and had the most consistent performances.”

Rangers defender Borna Barisic had earlier claimed the interim boss had been ‘disrespectful’ to claim Celtic were the best in the country and that the comments were a “joke”.

But reacting to the comments Kennedy said: “I’ve shown Rangers full respect for what they have done and I am entitled to say that on any day, especially going in to a cup tie, that I fancy us to come out on top, and that is purely what it is.”

Celtic beat Hamilton 6-0 last weekend with the Scottish Cup holders finally starting show the form that has deserted them almost all season.

Kennedy thinks they are ‘getting close’ to being their best.

He said: “Performance wise we have good, we have been much more consistent.

“There has been a lot of positives there, but we know how tough Sunday will be, it’s a cup match so you can’t make any mistakes, you’ve got to really get into the game and hit top form.

“We know that, especially going to Ibrox and the magnitude of the game we have to make sure that we all concentrated and all doing our jobs and hopefully we will come out with a very good performance and a result.”

Celtic are aiming for a record fifth Scottish Cup in a row this season with Steven Gerrard’s Rangers hopeful of a league and cup double.