Ange Postecoglou has revealed that he will be using last season's Scottish Cup semi-final heartache to Rangers as fuel for his Celtic squad.
The Aussie boss lifted the League Cup at the first time of asking last term, but he lost out to Giovanni van Bronckhorst's Govan outfit in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.
As a result, Postecoglou has mixed memories of Hampden Park and ahead of this weekend's showdown with Kilmarnock, the Parkhead boss has urged his team to get the job done.
Asked about losing out to Rangers last term, he said: "I think you use it as fuel because you can't just dismiss these things.
"You can't just put to one side because a lot of support is about how you overcome challenges.
"How you overcome things that happened in the past and you address it, not ignore it.
"Losing the semi-final last season wasn't an enjoyable experience wasn't enjoyable for all us.
"There's a finality to it because there is no point analysing cup games you lose because you're out.
"In the league, you can drop a game or have a poor performance but you have a chance to rectify it a week after.
"Our players are prepared, they like a challenge and they are looking forward to testing themselves in that environment."
Meanwhile, Derek McInnes highlighted the qualities his Kilmarnock players will need to demonstrate if they are to shock Celtic in their Viaplay Cup semi-final on Saturday.
He said: “Players don’t live on the moon, they know how good Celtic are.
“They watch them, they see how strong the individuals are, and it is wrong for me to over-elaborate all these points.
“We always look at the opponent but it is my job and the staff’s job to get the players prepared properly for every game.
“And when it is a team like Celtic who are such a strong opponent, we still have to do the right things for us.
“We have to make sure the players are right physically and make them right tactically which is a big part of it when you play a stronger opponent but the mental part of it is probably the biggest part of it.
“I need to see personality, I need to see life about us, I need to see confidence and I want people who are going to impress.
“Sometimes it is more than just ability you need to overcome an opponent like Celtic, it is not just the playing side of it, it is everything else and I will be looking for that this weekend.”
