Celtic has been put on notice; Ross County intend to use “the dark arts” to stop us.

I came across some interesting comments yesterday from one of Ross County’s players, their big centre-back, talking about how they intend to use what he called “the dark arts” to disrupt Celtic’s game today.

While I found those remarks somewhat ridiculous, I think we should be taking them seriously, especially when it comes to putting some pressure on where it counts—on the officials.

If Ross County players are openly admitting they’ll resort to physicality and borderline brutality tactics, then everyone who should be paying attention needs to be paying attention.

“Dark arts” isn’t a term that makes you think of a team playing within the rules. It’s more a warning of what’s to come—a declaration that they’re ready to push things right to the limit, and maybe beyond it, if they can get away with it.

Now, let’s be clear: I don’t mind when teams try to make life difficult for us.

That’s part of the game, and it’d be daft to expect them not to. But we’ve all seen what these so-called dark arts can look like in practice.

We’ve got the injury records to some of our players to show for it.

In addition to the physical side of things, let’s not forget how some teams have pushed time-wasting to its absolute limits—turning it into an art form of its own. Ross County will no doubt be up to the same antics today, and with a plan as brazen as the one their defender has laid out, we can expect plenty of both.

But that’s what officials are supposed to be there to monitor.

So long as everything stays within the rules, then fair play. But having made such a public statement, our coaches should be extra vigilant about what kind of “tactics” they’re actually deploying on the pitch. The officials need to hold both teams to the same standards, ensuring neither side gets away with anything that crosses the line.

I expect a bit of roughhousing today. I fully anticipate that he, in particular, will target Kyogo.

It’s not a question of if, but how. Enough “suggestions” about targetin our Japanese forward’s shoulder injury have been helpfully laid out by ex-Ibrox players in the media to expect the worst. What will be telling is how the officials respond to it, given that they, like the rest of us, have been forewarned about the type of game some in the Ross County squad plan to play.

Celtic will also have to decide how we respond to that aggression.

I’ve no doubt our players will maintain their discipline, but that doesn’t mean we should just roll over and let them dictate the terms. In fact, considering the defender’s comments, I wonder whether it’s even wise to start Kyogo today. Idah might be the better option in a game like this—he has the physical presence to match aggression with aggression, and he’s quick and sharp enough to exploit spaces when it matters.

Kyogo is undoubtedly unmatched in this league when it comes to natural ability and quick thinking. But this game could be about the right tools for a specific job. Ross County’s defenders have essentially broadcasted their game plan, and it might make more sense to counter that with Idah’s attributes. Then we could bring Kyogo off the bench to exploit tired legs and minds later in the match—especially if their “dark arts” earn them a few yellow cards.

Of course, Celtic has its own version of the dark arts. We know how to play the game smartly, and we must press any advantage we can. It would be foolish not to make use of the information we’ve been handed. We know how Ross County intends to play, so why not throw them a curveball by putting out a team they aren’t expecting?

Above all, the officials need to do their job.

Our manager should be having a quiet word with them before the game even kicks off, reminding them of what’s been said and how certain players plan to behave.

The guy has made a point of saying he enjoys UFC and boxing, but football isn’t a full-contact sport, and players who try to treat it that way ought to face the consequences—yellow if they’re lucky, red if they’re not. If the officials are primed for this before the game even starts, then woe betide the player foolish enough to follow through on such tactics.

Because if they do, they’ll find themselves off the park quicker than they can say “dark arts.” Unless, of course, our officials are in on it too. Operation: Stop Celtic isn’t just being worked out within the clubs, after all, and we’d be very silly to forget it.