“We’ve had injuries and that’s not made our preparations ideal, but I always feel that if we play the way we can, we can compete with even the Old Firm. That’s what I will be looking for,” he said today.

“Players have to go into the game believing they can do well and being positive. If you go in with negative thoughts you have lost before the game has started and there is no point in turning up.”

Jim admits his men will have to play better than in recent defeats against Hibs and Motherwell if they are to have any chance against the Hoops and believes the key to that will lie in not giving away soft goals.

“What we have to get back to at the least is making teams work hard to get anything against us. Anyone who knows me, knows that I like to play open, attractive football, but the first thing you have to do is make sure you are hard to beat.

“We have not done that in the last couple of games and, although we have played well for spells, we’ve been leaving ourselves with too much to do.

“To change that, we have to defend better, but it is not just a case of looking at the back four. We’ve got to do better as a team and one thing we have to do is make it harder for teams to get the ball into our box.”

Jim’s biggest problem today was getting 11 fit players on the training pitch so he could work on a game plan.

Leg injuries mean Brent Sancho and Tom Hutchinson have been ruled out, while, although he has been stepping up his work, Callum Macdonald’s place in the squad is still not confirmed. On the plus side, Iain Anderson, Steven Robb and Glenn Larsen should return.

Celtic will be without suspended pair Chris Sutton and Alan Thompson and that could give Dundonian Ross Wallace a starting place.

Tickets are still available for both sets of fans and the ticket office at Dens is open from 10 am-5pm tomorrow and on Sunday from 10 am- 11 am.

Supporters’ trust Dee 4 Life will again be collecting at Dens on Sunday, taking in money for raffle tickets, Junior Dee applications, names for their giant banner and selling Christmas cards.

The Andy Penman Lounge will not be available before games again until January 15.