BAD things tend to happen to Celtic whenever they are forced to play a team from the Highlands in a cup competition.

Three times, including last year's ever-so-slightly contentious Scottish Cup semi-final, Inverness Caledonian Thistle have exited the men from Parkhead out of that particular tournament.

And Ross County got in on the act six years ago when they defeated Neil Lennon's fledgling Celtic side 2-0 at Hampden in another semi-final, just weeks after Tony Mowbray got his jotters.

The two clubs will do it all over again on Sunday, same stage, same venue, although it will be a League Cup Final they will be going for this time.

A fifth defeat to a Highland team surely couldn't happen, could it?

If Celtic play close to their best on Sunday afternoon at the National Stadium then they will defeat Ross County who it must be said are no mugs and are playing well enough to sit fourth in the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership.

Those supporters who sat through the previous four defeats might just lose the will to live if a fifth comes along and destroys another Treble dream, something the Celtic players have been thinking about for some time.

Speaking in this week’s Celtic View, Gary Mackay-Steven said: “That (the semi-final) was in the back of our minds. We were obviously focusing on St Johnstone during the match on Saturday, but this is a massive game next up for us.

“It’s a trip to Hampden and the chance of getting into a cup final, which this club is known for and it’s where we want to be, so it’s a massive game and everyone is right up for that.

“I think the manager’s got a selection headache because a lot of players are coming back from injury with big players coming back to fitness so it keeps everyone on their toes, but I don’t think the manager would have it any other way.

“I want to play a big part in winning the trophies and this is the first one up for this season, the League Cup, and we are definitely putting all of our focus into that this week.

“So hopefully I’ll be giving the manager another headache as I want to be a part of that occasion at Hampden. It’s always great playing there.”

Well, not always, GMS. Not when you are Celtic in recent times as Mount Florida has proved to be a testing postcode for the club.

Kilmarnock, Hearts, Caley Thistle and, of course, County came away with unexpected wins.

Let's go back to 2010 when a Celtic team which now looks more than a little odd - Josh Thompson and Morten Rasmussen anyone? - hardly got a kick against a lower league side.

Now it's no huge secret that Ronny Deila and Lennon are not huge fans of one another, but the current manager would do a lot worse than to call his predecessor and ask him about what happened six years ago.

Lennon would most likely tell the Norwegian to get his players to do exactly the opposite of what his team, in the loosest sense of the word, did in that semi-final which was an awful day for the club, although in the long-term actually turned out not to be the worst thing that happened.

A case of 'if you know the history' as it were, and if they do, then the present players have to ensure they don't repeat past mistakes.

At the time, Lennon said: "There are things you can give players - information, tactics.

"But there are two things you can't give them - hunger and desire, and we were found wanting.

"County wanted it more. It has been endemic all season. We have gone out of every competition with a whimper. I'm way past angry. I spoke to the players coolly and calmly for 15-20 minutes after the game.

"They had one last chance of silverware for the club, the fans, themselves and they couldn't see it through.

"I would imagine there will be a clear-out. I would be recommending it to the board.

"This season has been nowhere near good enough. That's why Tony lost his job - the players we thought would be good enough ultimately were not.

"If I'm not here, I'm pretty certain that some of them won't be either.

"I told them semi-finals are really hard games, it's a different environment. They are always tense occasions, but you need to stay in the game.

"Our big players didn't turn up today. If you are not prepared to go in there and get hurt, you are not going to win too many games."

Ouch. It was some rant by Lennon and his words were heeded. From the squad on that day six years ago only Scott Brown and, this would have seemed mental at the time, Georgios Samaras who went on to play any sort of role during the Lennon era.

Deila cannot afford such a defeat. He might not be given time to rip it up and start again as Lennon was.

Ross County under Jim McIntyre have come a more than useful side, but Sunday cannot be another 'one of them' for Celtic.

Today's players would do well to read Lennon's past comments which serve as a reminder of what can happen - more than once.