Celtic must make home advantage count: Mowbray

Celtic manager Tony Mowbray has targeted a run of three home wins to help turn round his side’s stuttering start to the season.

The Hoops have struggled for form under their new gaffer, who moved from West Bromwich Albion in the summer, and have won just two games out of their last ten in all competitions.

Celtic, who have already exited the League Cup, slipped to second in the Scottish Premier League last weekend after losing 2-1 away to Dundee United and face a fight to stay in the Europa League beyond Christmas.

Mowbray and his men now have three home games in eight days starting with St Mirren on Saturday, followed by Hapoel Tel-Aviv on Wednesday before Aberdeen come calling next weekend.

Celtic could find themselves four points behind rivals Rangers as they run out at Parkhead on Saturday if Rangers pick up a win away to Aberdeen in the early kick-off match.

The run of home games could be crucial to Celtic’s domestic and European ambitions and Mowbray hopes his players can forget their poor form and kick-start their season with a win against the Buddies.

“The very nature of football is that players and managers are going to suffer setbacks frustrations and defeats,” said Mowbray.

“You have got to put it behind you and get back on the training ground. There is always another big game around the corner, and that’s the case with us.

“The message has to be that we have to all stick together.

“We have three home games coming up in the space of eight days, against St Mirren, Hapoel, and Aberdeen. And we have to try to win them all.

“That’s always the target at Celtic, winning matches. We have not done that consistently enough this season, but we will keep working together to find that level of consistency.

“Hopefully, we can get a result against St Mirren and then build on that.”

Celtic could be boosted by the return of midfield pair Zheng Zhi and Paddy McCourt for the visit of the Buddies, with both having missed the defeat at Tannadice.

Scott Brown is missing with an ankle injury as are Shaun Maloney and goalkeeper Artur Boruc. In the early kick-off game on Saturday Old Firm rivals Rangers have to put their European disappointment behind them as they face a difficult away game against Aberdeen.

Rangers gaffer Walter Smith will be without on-loan French winger Jerome Rothen for the trip north after he flew home to receive treatment for a suspected case of swine flu.

The champions have stuggled against the Dons at Pittodrie in recent years and haven’t won there since Smith returned for his second spell in charge in January 2007.

“We go to Pittodrie and that’s going to be difficult. Since I have come back to the club we have not had a great deal of success there so we would hope for better fortune,” Smith said.

“We have a decent record in the league this season but we recognise that it will be a big test for us up there.

“It’s always a good game up at Pittodrie. There is a bit of an edge to the game and hopefully we can come out on top.”

Elsewhere on Saturday Motherwell entertain Dundee United at Fir Park knowing that a win would draw them level on points with their opponents, Hibernian take on Falkirk, Kilmarnock are at home to Hearts and St Johnstone face Hamilton.

Fixtures (1500 GMT unless otherwise stated)

Saturday

Aberdeen v Rangers (1245)

Celtic v St Mirren

Hibernian v Falkirk

Kilmarnock v Hearts

Motherwell v Dundee United

St Johnstone v Hamilton