FORREST CAN FIRE AT EURO FINALS
Kennedy backs winger for a return to top form
AN ill-timed ankle injury saw James Forrest hobble out of Celtic’s doomed race for what would have been an unprecedented ten in a row.
But John Kennedy is backing the Parkhead winger to make history with Scotland this season as the nation prepares to make its first appearance at a major finals in 23 years.
Back in November, Forrest was on the outside looking in as Steve Clarke’s side triumphed over Israel and Serbia, both on penalties, to progress to the Euro 2020 finals.
Yet the 29-year-old had played a huge part in the qualifying process, scoring five goals in Nations League matches against Albania and Israel which booked Scotland’s place in the play-offs.
Fit again after surgery, Forrest made his first appearance for Celtic since September when he came on for the last 12 minutes of a 0-0 draw with Dundee United at Tannadice on March 7, which effectively crowned Rangers champions.
Then came a further 12-minute cameo in the 1-1 draw with Steven Gerrard’s side at Celtic Park a fortnight later — followed by a tough two weeks of training while the Scots were playing World Cup qualifiers against Austria, Israel and the Faroe Islands.
Ahead of this evening’s Scottish Cup third-round home tie with Falkirk, Kennedy is backing Forrest to catch fire for the remainder of the season and prove that he deserves his place in Clarke’s Euro 2020 squad.
‘James is now in a good place,’ said the Celtic interim boss. ‘We are seeing a difference in him now because he has enough training minutes in him.
‘He has worked very hard while the lads have been away on international duty and he is now in a good place where he can pose the question and stake his availability to go in and start games.
‘I am very happy with how he has progressed. He has put himself in a good position and, game by game, we will monitor that and see how he is.
‘James has been such an important player for a number of seasons now. With his statistics, when you look back on his goals, assists and involvement in our attacking stuff, he is always heavily involved.
‘So as soon as you take that out, of course you are going to miss it. You’ve got to adapt to that and find the solutions elsewhere, but there is no doubt about it, if you take one of the best players out of a team, it makes life more difficult.
‘It is not an excuse, or a reason for the season (we have had), but certainly not having a James Forrest doesn’t help.’
Celtic should not lack motivation against the League One leaders this evening, given the Scottish Cup is their only chance of silverware this otherwise calamitous season.
But Kennedy believes that players who were overlooked for Scotland, like midfielder David Turnbull and striker Leigh Griffiths, will be fired up to impress for the remainder of the campaign.
Whether or not Turnbull makes the cut for the Euros, Kennedy believes the 21-year-old has a glittering international career ahead of him.
‘I think there is always motivation,’ he said. ‘The national team is something you want to be a part of, especially when Scotland have not been at that level for some time and the opportunity arises.
‘In their minds somewhere will be the motivation to take the opportunity to maybe get there.
‘If that’s something that spurs them on at club level, then so be it.
‘There is a lot of positivity around David Turnbull because of his performances.
‘But Steve (Clarke) has also got to respect the players who got him through the qualification campaign.
‘The squad he has is strong, so David has got to be patient.
‘We very much want him to be part of it because that would be good recognition for him.
‘But I am sure, in time, that David will become a future Scotland international and have a huge number of caps under his belt because of the quality he has.
‘Steve has a decision to make, we have to respect that, and David just has to keep working to improve his performances in games and prove himself to the national team manager.’
As Turnbull embarks on his embryonic Celtic career, Scott Brown is coming to the end of his.
The Celtic captain this week pledged his future to Aberdeen as a player-coach after 14 years at Parkhead.
But Kennedy shot back at suggestions that the 35-year-old was ‘finished’ as far as this season is concerned, and confirmed the veteran will get game time between now and his departure at the end of the campaign. He said: ‘It’s disrespectful to say that (he’s finished), because he’s still captain of this club and he’s given a huge part of his life to Celtic. ‘We really would have loved him to stay longer here because we feel he has more to offer, but he wants a new challenge and we fully respect that. ‘But in terms of the transition (to younger midfielders), it doesn’t mean he won’t play again.
‘In some games, (Ismaila) Soro might play and Scott in others.’
Kennedy also backed himself and the squad to deal with the uncertainty surrounding the club, as Celtic continue to close in on the capture of Eddie Howe as the club’s next permanent manager.
‘It’s not particularly an issue,’ said Kennedy, who is set to be retained alongside Gavin Strachan if Howe gets the job.
‘The club is taking its time and ensuring the right kind of people are brought in.
‘They know these decisions have to be made, but they are making them with calm heads.’