Kennedy still unconvinced by new ‘Invincibles’
Celtic caretaker insists Ibrox claim to the throne is diminished by cup defeats
STEVEN GERRARD’S Rangers side have taken Celtic’s championship crown but they cannot properly lay claim to the Invincibles tag, according to Parkhead interim manager John Kennedy.
Celtic host Rangers tomorrow afternoon in the penultimate derby of the season with the Ibrox side so far unbeaten on league duty. But Kennedy has suggested the any comparison between this current Rangers side and Brendan Rodgers’ 2017 side is erroneous given that Celtic swept all before them on their way to a domestic Treble; St Mirren’s Betfred Cup win denied Gerrard the chance of a trio of trophies while this season’s Scottish Cup has yet to be played.
In any case, Kennedy will not use the unbeaten claim to incentivise the current Parkhead squad but will rather urge them to show why they lorded it over the rest of
Scottish football for as long as they did.
“It’s important because it’s part of our history and we’re very proud of that,” he said. “We also went a full season, winning each trophy.
“Especially in knockout competitions, it only takes one game to be off the boil and you’re out. That period of being so successful is a huge achievement. We’ve had a big setback this season with the league campaign but you don’t just become a poor team overnight. So we need to get back to our levels and we want to show that on Sunday.
“We’ll not use it as extra motivation [that Rangers are unbeaten]. We have set the marker in previous seasons.
“We have cleaned up domestically in previous seasons. Rangers have had their moment but we want it to be a moment.
“The thing now is how we perform on Sunday, the result we get and the impact on things going forward. It will not be an extra incentive for the players to stop Rangers. It’s more about us now, what we deliver, how we perform and the results we get.”
Celtic will have had ample time to ruminate on the defeat at Ibrox at New Year that proved so costly to their league campaign. Having dominated the game until they were reduced to 10 men – the Ibrox side did not have a shot on target throughout the 90 minutes – they lost the points through a Callum McGregor own-goal.
That altered the complexion of the campaign dramatically with the likelihood of Rangers being caught all but gone. The psychological advantage that gave the Ibrox side in the aftermath when they were able to grind results out without having to look over their shoulder meant they were champions in waiting from that afternoon onwards.
The ill-advised trip to Dubai and the furious fall-out which followed put Celtic into a tailspin. The points dropped
Rangers have had their moment... but we want it to be a moment
in January has made for a limp title fight with Rangers currently enjoying a 20-point lead over Celtic. Not since the turn of the century have the Parkhead side capitulated so meekly in a title race.
As such, Kennedy has called for a spirited performance tomorrow as he urged the players to offer their support something small to salvage from the wreckage of the season.
“We owe it to ourselves as much as the fans,” he said. “We all accept that responsibility. It’s been a really difficult season for the fans. One, because they’ve put their money into the club when they’ve not been able to attend the games. And because of the way the season has gone, it becomes very frustrating for everyone.
“As much as we owe it to everyone, it’s always about what we do on the field to give the fans that joy and that pride in their team. That’s what we have to get back to. A Rangers match is one that gives them that if you can go out and perform well and get a big result.
“It doesn’t matter about where we are in the league, we’ll look at the derby game in isolation. We are up against our biggest rivals and want to do well and hopefully laid down a marker for moving forward.
“We know we have underperformed too many times this season but we want to show our true levels. The table doesn’t lie when you look at the performances
this season and what we’ve delivered. But we know we are better than that. We’ve underperformed and Rangers have maximised that’s why they are champions.”
Kennedy, meanwhile, revealed that this week’s guard of honour chat was discussed – and dismissed – within the Celtic dressing room.
“It was the same two years ago when we were champions and if I am being honest, I don’t think such a fuss was being made about it,” said Kennedy. “I don’t see it as a big issue.
“We spoke collectively about it and we won’t do it. It is not about lacking class, nothing like that, because we are a club that always shows class and dignity and do what is right.
“But ultimately this same group of players went in as champions and didn’t get the respect that time, if you want to call it that.
“They are the same players who are being asked to stand there. We have decided collectively as a group. We will just get on with the game… and just put that to bed.”
He has also insisted that there has been no loss of focus from Scott Brown over the last few weeks as speculation has surrounded his future at the club.
“He is out on the training pitch leading by example,” said Kennedy. “Scott is very important for us and his pure focus is purely on Celtic. Come the end of the season, he is getting to that age where he will evaluate things.”