Gerard Houllier admits he has great respect for the man he has spent all season being told is going to get his job at Liverpool.
The Anfield chief has heard all the talk that Celtic's Martin O'Neill had been lined up to take over during Liverpool's grim mid-winter spell.
O'Neill continually insisted it was not true, describing the reports as "embarrassing", but the speculation has only died down since Liverpool's recent revival.
Houllier said the only time O'Neill would come to Anfield was in a European tie, and that will happen for the second leg of their UEFA Cup clash.
The two men go head to head tonight in the first leg of the quarter-final, which is shaping up to be a classic "Battle of Britain" showdown.
Houllier says: "Martin is a clever guy, and yes, he has a good record against us when he was manager at Leicester. One game was played on the back of a Worthington Cup final when we had just beaten Birmingham, so I've got a lot of respect for him.
"And also for his team, we take every team in this competition with great respect and concentration. But we are not scared whatever the record of the past or the atmosphere.
"Whatever people say, whatever the history, it's this game that matters. There are few people left who were in the match between the clubs back in '97, it's a different set-up.
"They have got a very good record in Europe and the Scottish League and they should have been with us in the Champions League, they were very unlucky," Houllier said.
Liverpool knocked out Celtic in the 1997-98 UEFA Cup, and also beat them in a Cup Winners' Cup semi-final in 1966.
But this showdown looks more evenly matched, and Houllier adds: "It's going to be a fantastic atmosphere, we know that, and I hope it turns out to be a fantastic game.
"There are two good sides and I rate Celtic as a very good team and club".
But Houllier believes that an in-form Michael Owen with four goals in his last four games could be the difference.
He said: "He's a big-game player and when he's fit he is one of the best strikers in the world, it's as simple as that. So he can score any goal in any game".
PA