Match preview: Kilmarnock vs. Celtic

It's hard to find a new angle on a situation Celtic have been in multiple times this season already. On the back of a preventable loss which sees the quest to regain the SPL title take another body blow, Celtic look to get back on track and kick start a consistent run of form. The season has been horrendously stop start so far. Every chance to put right the many wrongs we have seen has come to a skin crawling, infuriating halt. After the last international break the squad came out of the blocks quickly at Celtic Park and blew away a Motherwell team who have had a good start to the season. We lost two out of our next three league games, the only win coming at home to Inverness.

It's been said often enough that things have to be turned round. Hopefully Neil Lennon and his backroom staff have used the time the international break brings to try and piece together that beautiful jigsaw we saw in all its glory in early 2011. We all know this should have happened already but perhaps with the break he has managed to bring the belief to his players that this is a 'fresh start'. The only thing that can exacerbate the situation we find ourselves in is more dropped points. Even a poor performance will be forgotten by Monday as long as the three points are delivered. It would be something to build on at least. A Kilmarnock team who themselves are looking to be 'reborn' will not make it easy at Rugby Park.

Last season Kilmarnock were a breath of fresh air in the SPL. Creativity in midfield from the likes of Alexei Eremenko and Craig Bryson allowed players such as Connor Sammon to come of age and impress beyond the borders of Scotland. The midfield itself was broken up on the Summer and they are a much changed side  compared to what we saw last season. The style of football itself hasn't changed. Kenny Shiels has tried to continue the philosophy he introduced to the club with Mixu Paatelainen of striving to express yourself on the pitch with creative and forward thinking passing phases; both pretty and impressive if pulled off. Without the same level of quality in the team it's led to less than impressive results. Kilmarnock have conceded two or more goals in their last six games and have lost the last three. However, they aren't without danger. Paul Heffernan is Kilmarnock's top scorer this season with eight goals in all competitions, the Dublin born striker will be looking to prove to a UK-wide audience on ESPN there's still life in the legs which spent most of their career in the English lower leagues. No doubt Killie will have studied our defensive frailties and perhaps see this as an opportunity to become a team the rest of Scotland talk about positively again.

Celtic can again call on Beram Kayal and Joe Ledley after being absent in recent weeks which should ensure the strongest area of the squad is strong again on the pitch. A return for Anthony Stokes may be on the cards too after Neil Lennon highlighted a missed chance from Mohamed Bangura in the defeat against Hearts as a big moment in the match. It's frustrating for many Celtic fans that Stokes and Gary Hooper don't start together consistently enough and tomorrow should give them a chance to further prove themselves as our best options in the final third. Kris Commons is suspended after his red card in the Hearts match so any spark out wide will come from James Forrest. Forrest was largely unused on Scotland duty though Craig Levein did turn to him in Alicante and brought him off the bench to go up against the best in the world. Perhaps expecting the talent of a David Silva to rub off on him is asking too much but at the very least his confidence should be further boosted by the honour of representing his country for only the fourth time. Slowly but surely he is turning from a young talent into someone who can be relied upon, these are the types of games which may help show that. Defensively it's likely to be another rejig at Rugby Park. Both Cha Du-Ri and Glenn Loovens are again available for selection after absence and even the most eager of betting men would surely not like to wager on what back line we'll see tomorrow. Hopefully whichever combination it is becomes the base four of the XI and no tinkering continues.

It's a perception that midday kick-offs are often tricky occasions but this is bread and butter for a Celtic team who do this on a consistent basis and have done so for years. If anything it's more of a problem for the opposition who have to switch to such awkward times only when one of the Glasgow sides come calling. As things stand it'd be a relief if tomorrow turns into one of those games that pass by without incident beyond a goal or two for Celtic, the kind of game you don't necessarily get massively excited about. I'm certainly not hoping for any plucky performances from Kilmarnock, even it presented a good advert for Scottish football. I don't believe Celtic are in good enough shape to come up against a serious challenge at this precarious stage of a resurrection. Perhaps later we can look upon this game, cold and Autumnal in Kilmarnock, and think 'it started there'.