INTERIM BOSS KEY TO TIERNEY BECOMING ‘WORLD CLASS’
Celtic captain Scott Brown believes John Kennedy’s pivotal role in Kieran Tierney becoming “one of the best left-backs in the world” is proof that the club have been placed in safe hands following the departure of Neil Lennon.
Kennedy’s promotion to interim Celtic manager this week led the Arsenal fullback to tweet the 37-yearold was a “hero” for doing “so much” for him at the Parkhead club.
And Brown, pictured, believes the coaching education Kennedy has dedicated himself to for a decade at Celtic subsequent to his playing career being cut short by injury makes him a figure to which all those who have come under his tutelage at Parkhead feel indebted.
“As a coach, John is the one I look up to,” said the 35-year-old midfielder, who admits it has been “hard” dealing with the loss of Lennon to whom he also feels he owes so much.
“He sits and studies football, whether it is any league in the world. He watches, players, shapes and styles and tries to take the positives out of any situation. He is fantastic with the kids coming through but he has also been fantastic with the first-team players that have come through under Brendan [Rodgers] and Neil.
"There are a lot of players out there who will be thanking John and Neil for pretty much everything that they have done. John has brought a lot of the young players through. He has nurtured them and he produced Kieran who is probably one of the best left-backs in the world right now, to be perfectly honest. He has helped every single person at this club over the last eight or nine years that I have known him.”
Josh Doig has described the decision to sign a new deal at Hibs as a no brainer.
The revised contract, which extends to 2025, offers the teenager a salary that reflects his enhanced status at the club, as well as longer-term stability. It also provides all the confirmation he needs that his debut season has gone every bit as well as he imagines it has.
The new contract, though, will not be an excuse to relax, not with so much to aim for. Depending on if and how the Scottish Cup plays out, a top-fivefinishcouldbeenough to secure a spot in one of Uefa’s club competitions but noone at Hibs is targeting anything less than the third spot they currently occupy, which would guarantee European adventures well into December if the domestic cup competition cannot be played to a conclusion.
“It’s a big confidence boost for myself but I can’t take it for granted now, I can’t be seen to take the foot off the pedal, I
have to push harder than I ever have now," said Doig. “The club has shown loyalty and trust in myself and I have to prove that I’m worth what they’ve given me. My mum and my dad have an absolutely brilliant work ethic so that has rubbed off on me. It is drummed into me: ‘You work for what you get, you don't get anything for free’.”
This season could mark the first time in 16 years that Hibs have finished third in the top flight. “Everyone knows that,” added the Scotland Under-19 full-back ahead of this afternoon’s league meeting with Motherwell. “We all speak about it.
"It is the big final push now and what a moment that would be for the club and its history and for myself, in my breakthrough season, to do that. What an achievement that would be. It's still a shock where we are just now, playing all these games and doing so well. I didn't see that coming into this season but it's a big push to the end now.
“There is a major sense of excitement within the club and around the club. I get texts from all my pals, who are all massive Hibs fans, and they are all saying they will be coming to every single away game if we do get into Europe. It is now up to us as players to provide that for the fans.”
Destiny is a powerful force. Nothing and certainly not Dundee United was going to get between Stevie May and a Scottish Cup winner’s medal seven years ago.
There must have been an excited yelp at Ibrox from whoever realised the player who had just scored a brace to put St Johnstone into the final, at the expense of Aberdeen, had in fact done so while wearing a shirt advising when the game would be played: May 17.
They might as well have given the cup to St Johnstone there and then. The promotional opportunities seemed boundless.
Chairman Steve Brown certainly didn’t think twice as he gave the signal for shirts to be placed in mass production.
“I don't think we won it just because of me,” said May.
“But it was a nice little thing for me, and it sold a few jerseys
– the chairman made sure I didn't get any cut of that, you won't be surprised to know!"
May is still wearing the same shirt but sadly, there’s not much evidence to suggest it will be hanging from one of the starters’ pegs at Hampden tomorrow as St Johnstone strive to win a first League Cup in their history against Livingston.
He can still play a part and already has, scoring twice in a group stage match against Peterhead.
But he has featured only once from the start this year, with Chris Kane expected to lead the attack.
If manager Callum Davidson does elect to play a second striker, Guy Melamed seems the more likely option.
May, now 28 and in his second spell at the club, still believes he can have a decisive impact.
“Definitely,” he said. “The boys have been doing brilliantly and I’ve not been playing the last few games.
"It is hard to get back because the boys have been doing really well.
"But the most important thing is getting this win over the line on Sunday. It doesn’t matter who plays or who scores.”
Coming, as they do, from a local boy, these are sentiments you can trust.
The fact St Johnstone’s sole Scottish Cup win took place at Celtic Park rather than Hampden because of the upcoming Commonwealth Games did not matter a jot to May – he just wanted the trophy.
“They could have given it to me in the basement. As long as I got a touch of it,” he said.
“To be honest, I've got good memories of Celtic Park. For me, we won the cup there and I made my Scotland debut (v England) there as well.
"It's a great ground. It didn't take anything away from the occasion at all.
"You maybe even get a little closer to the fans.”
May might yet experience the walk up the Hampden steps to lift a trophy but, even then, it will be very different to the norm with no fans in attendance.
The local council has done its best to create some cup final atmosphere around town.
Perth bridge has been lit up in blue this week, while shops, although closed, have featured widow displays demonstrating their support.
Otherwise, the build-up has been very different to the Mayinspired frenzy of 2014.
“It might help us focus solely on the job at hand,” the striker said.
The photograph posted by Robert Douglas on his personal Facebook page of him hugging Neil Lennon after a game said it all.
There were no words. There didn’t need to be. It was the former Celtic goalkeeper telling his pal that he had his back.
Not everyone from that side has been so supportive. Out of the ‘Seville-era’ team, as many as three could be accused of having kicked Lennon when he was down.
The former Celtic manager accused Chris Sutton, John Hartson and Stiliyan Petrov, who called for him to be sacked last month, as having “sold their soul”.
Sutton turns 48 next month, while Hartson celebrates his 46th birthday shortly afterwards.
Lennon, who resigned earlier this week following a miserable campaign for the Parkhead club, might not be among those rushing to send his best wishes.
Paul Lambert recently described the treatment of Lennon by some of his former teammates as "disgraceful"
– he even phoned one up to make this point.
He did then absolve those now working in the media from criticism – presumably Hartson and Sutton.
It is their job to broadcast such strong views at times, even at the risk of damaging previously close relationships.
It’s something that Lennon, pictured inset, might come to accept, since it’s likely he will occupy a pundit’s seat before his next managerial one. That’s no bad thing, because he is an engaging analyst.
As Graeme Souness, who worked with him for RTE, observed: “He knows his onions.”
Only time will tell whether being reminded that those in such positions can’t sit on the fence will help mend relationships between Lennon and some of his former team-mates.
Glasgow Warriors assistant coach Kenny Murray has confirmed that Huw Jones is to leave the club at the end of the season, with the Scotland back expected to join the French side Bayonne.
Jones’contractexpiresinthe summer and talks on a new deal have not borne fruit.
“I know we had been discussing a contract with him but he’s obviously decided not to take that and he’ll be moving on to other pastures,” said Murray
“He’s a big player for us who’s played well over the last few years, both at 15 and 13. But he’s decided to move on and we need to move on as a club as well. It’s disappointing to see any player go but we believe we’ve got some exciting players coming in as well.”
Jones, who made his name as an outside centre, has spent most of the season at full-back. He returns to his favoured 13 role for tomorrow’s match against Leinster in Dublin, with Ollie Smith, making his first start, picked at 15. The
20-year-old signed his first professional contract with the club this week.
Cole Forbes, the Warriors’ new signing from New Zealand,
also makes his first start, with another young talent, Rufus Mclean, picked on the other wing.
The callowness of the back three is offset by plenty of experience elsewhere as nine Scotland players return to bolster Glasgow’s squad for what will be a tough outing against the three-in-a-row Pro14 champions.
“It’s great for us that Scotland have released those players,” said Murray. “It obviously makes a difference - we’re a lot stronger side going to Leinster now than maybe we were before the France game was cancelled.” The postponement of the Six Nations match in Paris means Glasgow are able to field a starting XV that includes Oli Kebble, Grant Stewart, Richie Gray, Rob Harley, Jamie Dobie, Adam Hastings and Sam Johnson, as well as Jones.
Despite the reinforcements, Murray expects a tough test at the RDS.
“This gives us a good chance but going to Dublin to win is a bloody hard ask,” he said. “But we’re in a good place and we’ve won there before. We know what it takes to do that which can only help.”
Scotland will open their 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign against the holders, South Africa.
The Scots, who are drawn in Pool B for the tournament in France, will close their group phase games against Ireland.
In between, they will play matches against two qualifiers yet to be determined.
The competition will kick off with a blockbuster of a match between the host nation and three-time winners New Zealand at the Stade de France in Paris on Friday, September 8.
Scotland’s match against the Springboks will take place in Marseille’s atmospheric Stade
Velodrome on Sunday, September 10.
Gregor Townsend’s side will then have to wait two weeks until their next match, which is against an Asia/pacific qualifier in Nice on September 24.
Next up for the Scots is a game against a Europe 2 qualifier at Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille on Saturday, September 30.
The match against Ireland, likely to be decisive in terms of who qualifies for the knockout phase, is scheduled for Saturday, October 7 in the Stade de France.
The Irish will begin in Bordeaux, where they will play a European qualifier on September 9. Andy Farrell’s men face the Springboks in Paris on September 23. England will start their World Cup campaign against Argentina in Marseille on Saturday, September 9.
After their Pool D opener against Los Pumas, Eddie Jones’ 2019 runners-up will take on Japan in Nice on September 17 before back-to-back games in Lille, against qualifiers from the Americas and Oceania on September 23 and October 7 respectively.
Wales begin their Pool C campaign v Fiji in Bordeaux on September 10 and take on two-time champions Australia in Lyon a fortnight later.
Games will be played at nine venues across France. The final – scheduled for Saturday, October 28 – the third-placed play-off, both semi-finals and two of the quarter-finals will be staged at the Stade de France, while Marseille will host the other two last-eight fixtures.