Jimmy Nicholl insists Kilmarnock need to fear a drubbing from Celtic even though they beat them only last month.
Celtic have the chance to avenge their 1-0 league defeat when they return to Rugby Park for the quarter-final of the Active Nation Scottish Cup on Saturday.
“People will say we beat them last time but this is totally different,” said assistant manager Nicholl.
“If you play the Old Firm you have to fear losing, fear getting humiliated and getting beat by five or six.”
The pressure is on the visitors who, having fallen 13 points behind Rangers at the top of the SPL, only have the Scottish Cup as a realistic source of silverware.
Anticipating a determined mood from Celtic, Nicholl believes being scared of a thumping is a positive thing for his side.
“That drives you on, you are pumped up and you are driven on,” he explained. “I have seen it when my teams have played against the Old Firm.
“That’s why people ask the question, ‘How come you did that against Rangers and Celtic and you don’t do it against the team at the bottom?’
“If Celtic keep getting told that this is their last chance for silverware they will be more determined to do something about it.
“If their players have the fear of losing then that makes it really hard for us.”
Robbie Keane made his Celtic debut in the 1-0 loss at Rugby Park after signing on loan from Tottenham.
Thanks in part to the good form of goalkeeper Cameron Bell, the Republic of Ireland striker drew a blank that night but has since notched five goals.
“I thought Keane played well against us that night,” Nicholl said. “He was making runs that the other Celtic players didn’t see.
“But the weeks have gone on and they know him now so we have to be very careful.
“I watched his runs against Falkirk last week and his movement and the positions in the box that he takes up are terrible for a defender.
“He drags centre-halves and full-backs into places they don’t want to go and they hate that.
“We have to put pressure on the ball and make sure they don’t deliver the pass.
“But whatever we do against Robbie Keane, we have to do against the player on the ball and Aiden McGeady.
“There are loads of things we have to do if we are to win this cup tie.”
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