Martin Woods is confident Ross County can capitalise on Dundee United’s beatings by his boyhood heroes Celtic and triumph at Tannadice on Saturday.
The former Sunderland and Leeds United midfielder attended the League Cup final and saw first hand the kind of hefty punishment the Tangerines took in four consecutive clashes with the Glasgow giants.
County scent blood with United labouring on an eight-game winless run that has knocked the stuffing out of their season.
The resurgent Dingwall players, in contrast, travel to Tayside seeking to stretch their unbeaten run to seven matches.
Woods, 29, originally from Airdrie but an Anglo-Scot all his career until joining the Staggies last October, is determined to take advantage of any low morale in Jackie McNamara’s camp.
Woods said: “I was at the League Cup final because I grew up a Celtic supporter. It’s tough playing in those games because Celtic are streets ahead of everyone else.
“Aberdeen sucked a few people in at some stages this season but there was no doubt Celtic would win the league.
“So, it has been tough for United to play them four times and maybe their confidence will be scarred a bit. If so, we can take advantage of that.
“They might think ‘it’s Ross County today and that’s a chance to get back on track’ – and, if so, we have to stop them thinking that.”
County are a team transformed, not just in form and confidence, but in personnel given a spate of January and February signings.
Woods said: “We’re a different team now to when we lost 3-2 to them here in December. That was a bit of cat and mouse because it was just waves of attack.
“But now we’re a different proposition – more solid and tougher to play against.”
County, though, will lose the services of one of their current top performers for the vital clash, with Michael Gardyne prevented from playing under the terms of his loan deal from Tannadice.
Woods acknowledges Gardyne’s absence is a blow but reckons County have others who will be eager and able to fill the breach.
He said: “Midge has done really well for us, so it’s a shame he can’t play. But that’s why you have a squad and it will be up to whoever comes in to stake their claim.
“Earlier in the season, we had guys like young Tony Dingwall doing really well in that wide role, while others like Joe Cardle will want to grab the chance to get back in the team.”