Celtic assistant manager John Kennedy is not fazed by the Hoops' defeat to Rangers and is confident that the loss will only stimulate the Scottish champions to do better in the second half of the season.
Neil Lennon's men were handed a disappointing 2-1 defeat by rivals Rangers at Celtic Park in the Scottish Premiership before the start of the winter break.
While Celtic still sit top of the league table, Steven Gerrard's side are only two points behind and could go top if they win their game in hand.
However, Hoops assistant boss and former defender Kennedy is not concerned by the fact that the side suffered their first defeat to the Gers at Parkhead in nine years and is positive that the players know what comes off the back of the defeat to their rivals.
Delighted with how Celtic's season has gone so far, the 36-year-old is confident that the defeat to Rangers prior to the winter break will only spur the Bhoys to do better in the second half of the season.
“Most of the players are old and wise enough to know what comes off the back of a defeat to Rangers", Kennedy was quoted as saying by the Herald.
"But we’ve beaten them twice this season, the league campaign and the European campaigns were good until that game.
"We’ve had a setback, that’s all it is.
"A setback which will spur us on and give us extra energy and hunger going into the second half of the season."
Celtic will kick-off the second half of their season by facing Partick Thistle in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup on the 18th on January.
