Details of the Hearts gameplan designed to spoil a party for Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou

The towering outer facade, deafening atmosphere and free-scoring hosts can intimidate even experienced opponents at Celtic Park. Hearts’ task there on Wednesday night appears daunting as Ange Postecoglou celebrates his 100th game in charge of the Parkhead club.

Daunting, yes, but not impossible. Riccarton management are devising a gameplan to both upset the odds and spoil any Celtic party Celtic to honour the popular Australian coach. It centres around keeping possession and defending diligently, but also displaying the attacking bravery to cause damage and plunder a result in front of a 60,000 Parkhead crowd.

Celtic have scored 250 goals to date under Postecoglou and are now in the final straight on a charge for the Premiership title. This is the first of back-to-back meetings with Hearts, the second coming at Tynecastle on Saturday in the Scottish Cup quarter-final. With talents like Kyogo Furuhashi, Jota and Liel Abada to name just three, the visting defence can expect a busy evening in Glasgow first. Manager Robbie Neilson explained to the Evening News how his team can impact at the other end against a side which has conceded just seven home league goals all season.

“We have a way of playing and we want to go and test ourselves against one of the best teams in Scotland. We will go there to try and play our football,” he said. “Obviously you need to be very respectful of Celtic because they are a top team and they’ve got some top talents. Defensively you need to be solid but when we are in possession, we have to do what we do well. That is getting forward, getting balls in the box and getting bodies in the box.

“We managed to win on Saturday against St Johnstone, which brings a confidence and a feelgood factor [after losing at Motherwell]. However, the confidence should be there anyway. You are playing for Hearts. Celtic Park is a difficult place to go but you need to have that confidence and belief in yourself, first and foremost. Then you need to have belief in the team.

“That’s what it’s about for me: Believing in yourself and believing in your team-mates. Believe that, when the ball comes, you will take the touch and make the right decision. You see a lot of teams going there and just kicking it anywhere because it becomes panic stations.

“You need to have that composure to play through Celtic’s press. That’s what the top teams have when they go there. There will be periods of any game against Celtic, especially through in Glasgow, when they will have the majority of the ball. When you get it, then it’s important you control the game in there.”

Celtic’s position atop the Premiership table, where they hold a nine-point lead over second-placed Rangers, should not be considered a massive surprise. They boast the greatest financial muscle in Scotland and Postecoglou has, by and large, spent the money wisely. Neilson is an admirer but hopes Hearts can become the proverbial party-poopers on the night of his counterpart’s 100th game in charge.

Hearts manager Robbie Neilson with his Celtic counterpart Ange Postecoglou.

“Ange has done a fantastic job, there's no doubt about that. He's given the team a way of playing and a style of play which is entertaining. He has done exceptionally well, but hopefully we can go there and spoil that celebration.”

For that to happen, Hearts will need top goalscorer Lawrence Shankland in form and ready to convert any opportunity. The striker’s 21 goals in 37 games this season is an excellent record, particularly for someone operating outwith the Glasgow duopoly. He claimed a hat-trick last time the two clubs met but finished on the losing side as Celtic claimed a 4-3 victory at Tynecastle last October.

“Lawrence does exactly what I thought he would – scores goals. Our job is to get him in positions to score the goals. Thankfully we have managed to do that this season and hopefully it continues,” said Neilson. “He has scored a lot of hat-tricks throughout his career but to do it against Celtic is a big thing for him. At the end of the day, he needs to keep doing it because that's in the past.”

Shankland’s ruthlessness inside the penalty area is likely to have captured the attention of Scotland coach Steve Clarke. He is preparing to name a squad for opening European Championship qualifiers against Cyprus and Spain later this month and the Hearts forward can expect to be in contention for a place. The Queens Park Rangers striker Lyndon Dykes hasn’t played since January 21 after spending time in hospital with pneumonia, so there is a void in the Scotland attack.

“It depends who the other options are but he is one of the top goalscorers in the league so I think Lawrence will be round about it. We'd be delighted if he got in the squad so we will wait and see. It's up to Steve,” said Neilson. “If you create chances, Lawrence will score goals. He has already scored for Scotland so if he gets the opportunity he won't let anybody down, that's for sure.”

How Shankland fares during Hearts’ double header with Celtic may be a central factor in whether he earns an international recall or not. The Edinburgh club will look to him as their principal goal threat as they try to garner points towards their push for European qualification, and their quest to reach the last four of the Scottish Cup.

"These are big games and if he could get some goals in them it would be great,” said Neilson. “Our job is to give him the opportunities to score the goals. It's up to him to put the ball in the net, which he has done throughout his career.”