1. Having trouble logging in by clicking the link at the top right of the page? Click here to be taken to the log in page.
    Dismiss Notice

John Kennedy

Discussion in 'Celtic Chat' started by LectersLuncheon, May 15, 2016.

Discuss John Kennedy in the Celtic Chat area at TalkCeltic.net.

  1. Peej Gold Member Gold Member

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2013
    Messages:
    20,701
    Likes Received:
    14,338
    Location:
    Shetland
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Thom
    Fav Celtic Song:
    Let The People Sing
    It is a wonder how/why Kennedy remained in that job. Also would be interesting to know if his role has changed much?

    I am certainly winning to give Brendan the benefit of the doubt for last night. Perhaps he has been to pleasant and nice at first with the squad while he gets to know the team and who he wants to keep. But Kennedy should have known better and told him not to play efe.
    Ajer and Sviatenchko would have been the better option. With the young lady mccart as a back up option before efe.

    Brendan I hope you learn quickly here. And Kennedy you need to get the finger out as well.

    Coaches and managers need to be a bit more ruthless here. It is their team, their rules, their ideas they are needing the players to go out and perform to. Make them do it, or hook them.

    Sent from my LG-H850 using Tapatalk
     
  2. wanyama1967

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2016
    Messages:
    2,981
    Likes Received:
    290
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Henrik Larsson/Victor Wanyama
    Brendan Rodgers, Chris Davies and John Kennedy all have something in common, all their football playing careers were cut painfully short due to injury. They are in their own club in that sense and all share the same experience together that a lot of others don't.

    I think perhaps Brendan sees something in Kennedy within himself due to that, just like he did in Davies when he turned him into a coach.

    I for one have no problem with Kennedy being here, he has obviously achieved a lot of coaching qualifications/badges required as well to be in the position he is in and has also worked with our development squad for a period.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 13, 2016
  3. The Prof Administrator Administrator

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2010
    Messages:
    64,023
    Likes Received:
    42,900
    Location:
    Say Hello To My Little Friend ....
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Jinky
    Can we assume that JK rates Ambrose, if not then he would've alerted Rodgers to the fact that he cannot be trusted ?
     
  4. wanyama1967

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2016
    Messages:
    2,981
    Likes Received:
    290
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Henrik Larsson/Victor Wanyama
    Maybe he did and Brendan went ahead anyway? No one knows.

    I personally think we'll either see Lustig/Erik or Ajer/Erik next week anyway.
     
  5. Henrik 07 Gold Member Gold Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2012
    Messages:
    160,758
    Likes Received:
    88,536
  6. Henrik 07 Gold Member Gold Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2012
    Messages:
    160,758
    Likes Received:
    88,536
    JK on this weekend's Glasgow derby: "Big game. First this season so it’s good to lead in on a good run of form.


    JK: "@kierantierney1 and @Leighgriff09 are pretty positive. As the week progresses we’ll see how they are.




    JK: "Treatment and rehab going well. We’re pretty confident but don’t want to commit.



    JK on @Leighgriff09's early season goals: "That’s what he gives you. He’s one of the best players on the pitch.




    JK: "Leigh’s done very well and he’s a natural goal scorer. He’ll be doing all he can to be fit.



    JK on Celtic squad: "We’ve strengthened very well in the window. Brought in players that have brought us to another level.




    JK: "Guys like Scott Brown are now feeling less pressure, @Scotty_Sinclair has done well as has Kolo Toure.



    JK: "We’re confident and that’s the most important thing.



    JK: "We’ve qualified for @ChampionsLeague , in the next stage of the cup and won all our matches in the league.


    JK: "Fit squad and confidence is massive in this. Good run of form and will take the game by the scruff of the neck.



    JK: "It’s a team game and the boys that are here are doing a terrific job.



    JK: "It’s important we are disciplined, organised and focus on the game plan.



    JK: "These games can get hold of you. It’s important emotion is there but must be switched on and know your job.







    CONFIDENCE is high in the Celtic camp going into Saturday’s Glasgow derby, according to John Kennedy, and the Hoops first-team coach has said that the side will be fully focused come kick-off at Paradise.
    The Celts go into the game in good form, having won all their domestic matches so far this season and progressed into the group stages of the UEFA Champions League. The Scottish champions have also been in free-scoring form, notching 18 goals in their last five matches, but Kennedy stressed that there will be no complacency in the Celtic squad.
    “We’re confident and that’s the most important thing,” he said. “The position we’re in and the season we’ve had so far has seen us tick all the boxes. We’ve qualified for the Champions League, we’re in the next stage of the League Cup and have won all our matches in the league so we can do no more.
    “Confidence is high, we’ve got a squad that’s pretty much fully fit and we are looking forward to the match. We’re on a good run of form and we want to make sure that carries on to Saturday.
    “It’s important that we're disciplined, organised and make sure we focus on the game-plan. These are the types of games that, emotionally, can get hold of you. It’s important that the emotion is there, you can’t get away from it, but you must be switched on in terms of what the manager wants the team to do and know what your job is in the team, and make sure you stick to that.
    “We have a lot of players in the team and squad who understand what the game means and what it’s all about so there’s going to be no surprises.”
    And the Hoops first-team coach believes the squad is in good shape following a positive summer transfer window.
    “We’ve strengthened very well in the window,” he said. “We’ve brought in players who have pushed us on to another level and have helped the players we have currently. The likes of Scott Brown are now feeling less pressure to be the one to perform as we’ve now got a number of players on the pitch who are willing to stand up and deliver.
    “Scott Sinclair has been a massive player in that, we’ve got Kolo Toure at the back and Moussa Dembele has done well, so we've strengthened very well.
    "A lot of people were waiting on the last day to see if we could strengthen again but it wasn’t to be. We’re happy with what we have and we are certainly looking forward.”
    Celtic will wait until later this week to examine the fitness of Kieran Tierney and Leigh Griffiths, both of whom withdrew from the Scotland squad last week with injury.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 6, 2016
  7. Henrik 07 Gold Member Gold Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2012
    Messages:
    160,758
    Likes Received:
    88,536
    JK: Confidence is very high in the squad. We’ve had a terrific run so far and it’s all about keeping that momentum going.


    JK: The squad, as a whole, has been vital. Players are able to come in and do a job for us. That's been a real strength for us this season.


    JK: New manager comes in with a fresh approach and new ideas which can revitalise some players which you’ve seen this season.


    JK: Brendan has got the full package, he ticks all the boxes and has filled the players with confidence.


    JK on Brendan Rodgers: In terms of an ideal manager, from what I've come across, he's it.


    JK: The biggest challenge is making sure we keep on top of our game and if we can do that then we'll be in a good place.


    JK: Our approach will be the same tomorrow. We'll be continuing with the same manner and intensity and hopefully that gets us a good result.



    EVERY player at Celtic feels part of the squad, according to John Kennedy, and that sense of purpose and focus has helped propel the Hoops to their early season success.

    The Scottish champions have been in fine form under their manager, Brendan Rodgers, stretching out an 18-game unbeaten run in Scotland and an eight-point lead at the top of the table with three games in-hand over their closest opponents.

    The famous Champions League nights have also returned to Paradise while the League Cup is also safely secured in the Bhoys’ trophy cabinet and first-team coach Kennedy said those triumphs have been down to the squad’s unity.

    “Confidence is very high in the squad,” he said. “We’ve had a terrific run so far but it’s just about keeping that momentum going and making sure we don’t slip up, keeping the standards high and making sure everyone is switched on.

    “When we’ve made changes in the team the players that have come in have done really well, fitted into the structure of the team and have carried out the game-plan as we have done so far this season, so it’s just about keeping those standards high for each game as it comes and hopefully that carries us through to the break.”

    Having strength in depth has been crucial for Celtic this season as the team deals with a typically packed fixture schedule.

    The Bhoys have been non-stop since the Champions League qualifiers in the summer and are now in the midst of a run of nine games in four weeks in December, concluding with the Hogmanay Glasgow derby at Ibrox on December 31.

    Kennedy added: “The amount of games we have, especially in that period of European football, is a big ask. When you go away from home in Europe and then come back and you’ve got another big game in the league, the squad becomes vital for us and that’s what has been a real strength for us this year.

    “We lost Scott Sinclair to injury but have players who can come in and do a job for us and do it very well so everybody has stood up to the plate and it’s an important factor when you carry a big squad that people feel part of it and when they do come in they do the job that’s asked of them in the team and so far, so good.

    “The fluency has been there in our game. Everybody is very clear about what we want to do on the pitch because in training we’re thorough in what we do. The boys work extremely hard every day and the message is very clear so there are no grey areas, so when they step on the field they know what job they need to do and every one of them has done that so far.

    “It’s important we keep on top of that but it is tough because there are a lot of games. You get minimum rest between the games but the boys just keep approaching every game with the same energy and intensity so far so hopefully we can maintain that for the foreseeable future.”
     
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2016
  8. Sean Daleer Free Palestine Gold Member

    Joined:
    Nov 16, 2011
    Messages:
    75,867
    Likes Received:
    38,025
    *...?

    This thread should be stickied and all the zoomers can congregate here.
     
  9. Sean Daleer Free Palestine Gold Member

    Joined:
    Nov 16, 2011
    Messages:
    75,867
    Likes Received:
    38,025
    Seeing as everyone wanted to blame him for our defensive ills when we were *, do these same people want to come back now and praise the guy? He is still involved with the first team after all...
     
  10. McChiellini..

    Joined:
    Jul 30, 2012
    Messages:
    103,488
    Likes Received:
    75,082
    Location:
    Looking down on the mutants..
    Fav Celtic Song:
    For those who are in love.....
    A lot of it was aimed at a feeling sorry for him reason he was here..

    That's clearly been answered for the critic's. Ridiculous accusation as well..

    Brendan isn't and hasn't been shy in his changes, so to have him working so closely on a day to day basis with CD's as well, speaks volumes..

    It would've been easy to punt JK..
     
  11. Henrik 07 Gold Member Gold Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2012
    Messages:
    160,758
    Likes Received:
    88,536
    JK on latest injury news: “James Forrest is still getting treatment & hasn’t been out on the pitch yet. Still out.

    JK: "@Scotty_Sinclair trained most of the session today, back in contention.


    JK: "Been out with a period with a hamstring, though, so we have to be cautious. He has trained and could be available.

    JK on @Scotty_Sinclair "Since coming in, he has been first class. A top player we want to try and keep fit for as long as possible."

    JK on squad depth during hectic festive period: "Been important. When you lose big players, the worry is you drop off a bit."

    JK: "But the boys who have come in have been terrific. Was tough the other night breaking Hamilton down, but we got there in the end."


    JK: "The depth in the squad has been an important factor for us as we play a lot of games and you need a bit of depth in there."


    JK on @ScottAllan_ "Up here for treatment. Carrying an injury, nothing too serious. A bit of rehab here before he returns to his club.


    JK on the domestic unbeaten run: "100% we haven't spoken about it. We take each game as it comes and have same level of preparation."


    JK on @dundeefconline "Dundee have been playing a similar system to @acciesfc so unless they change things, it will be very similar.


    JK: "@acciesfc were super organised, very tight and compact and difficult to break down regardless of personnel you have


    JK: "We had to be patient and thankfully we took one of our chances. Dundee will be a similar situation."


    JK also confirmed that Scott Brown is suspended for the Dundee game: "Another change but plenty players who can play in that position."


    JK: "A loss as he has been great for us this season, a real driving force, but personnel who can slide straight into that position."


    JK on Scott Brown: "This is the best I have seen him play, 100%"


    JK: "Now he has moulded everything together. He has great legs, strength & energy but playing with his brain more than ever."




    HAVING Scott Sinclair available for selection again is a major boost for Celtic, according to first-team coach John Kennedy. The 27-year-old has been sidelined for around three weeks since picking up an injury in the UEFA Champions League home match with Barcelona.

    He had made a sensational start to his Hoops career since his summer move from Aston Villa, scoring 10 goals in 22 games and his absence was a blow for Brendan Rodgers’ side.

    And while the champions have coped without the pacey winger to maintain their unbeaten domestic start to the season, Kennedy admitted his return would bolster the team’s attacking options during a hectic run of fixtures, particularly with fellow wide-man James Forrest remaining on the treatment table.

    He said: “James Forrest is still getting treatment and hasn’t been out on the pitch yet, so he is still out at the moment. Scott Sinclair trained most of the session today and is back in contention. He has been out for a period with a hamstring so we have to be cautious but he has trained and is available.

    “Since he has come in he has been first-class. He is a top player and certainly one we want to try and keep for as long as possible because he gives us another gear in terms of the speed in the team and the incision he brings to our attack. It’s great to have him back and he will be a big player for us going forward.”

    Although Kennedy was aware of the former Manchester City and Aston Villa player’s ability for a long time, he didn’t realise the extent of his talent until working with him this season.

    The coach said: “He came on the radar a while back in terms of he wasn’t quite playing at City and the possibility of loans, so we were aware of him. But, in my eyes, he’s better than I thought he was.

    “I knew he was a good player and what he could offer, but when you see him up close, he has a real turn of pace that can give any defender a problem. He also has calmness in the box, finishing, link-up play – he ticks all the boxes – so he’s a great player for us.

    He gives us something different. With James being out, you are then limited in the personnel you can play wide. There is a lot of responsibility for a wide player in our team, a big demand to play 90 minutes every three days because we do a lot of running, pressing and running off the ball. It’s good when you can freshen it up.

    “When you have four available, which we had earlier in the season, you can constantly add that freshness, whether it’s at the start of the game and someone new coming in, or during a game you can quickly change it by bringing on a fresh pair of legs which has a turbo that can go. It’s good to have another option back.”

    Sinclair’s return to fitness means that Forrest and Kieran Tierney are the only Celtic players who will miss Saturday’s home league match with Dundee, which will kick off at 3pm.
     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2016
  12. Peej Gold Member Gold Member

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2013
    Messages:
    20,701
    Likes Received:
    14,338
    Location:
    Shetland
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Thom
    Fav Celtic Song:
    Let The People Sing
    I would honestly love to know how he has gotten on and what he has done this season in terms of his own development. Quite rightly he should have had the finger pointed at him the last couple years, he was (is) our defensive coach and our defense was honking.
    Now with the addition of toure early on and Erik and jozo on fine form, the defense is looking good. I wonder (positively) what part Kennedy has had in this. If its the same Kennedy as last year, then we need to say the players and other management has done it. But just maybe, Rodgers has come in and done similar with him that he has with other players; got the best out of him. Has he been sent away on further coaching courses? Got new badges or something? Because credit where it is due. The defense is good this season and he deserves the nod for that, regardless how its came about.

    This is my thinking to the above, clearly Rodgers can be ruthless and he will tell folk where they stand. If he didn't see the calibre of coach in kennedy, he would have been binned. He must see something and I think Kennedy has been developed with the current back room staff.
    Good on him. But still for past defensive atrocities he should be taking some of the blame. And credit where it is due today.



    Sent from my LG-H850 using Tapatalk
     
  13. CalgaryBhoy

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2015
    Messages:
    4,511
    Likes Received:
    2,115
    Location:
    Calgary, AB
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Tha Thumb
    John Kennedy detects a change in the air, however. Without wishing to spirit any player away from Celtic in the near future, the anecdotal evidence the Parkhead first-team coach has gathered suggests much of the scepticism surrounding would-be English title contenders recruiting directly from the east end of Glasgow has evaporated. Virgil van Dijk has much to do with that.

    Signed by Southampton from Celtic for £13million in September 2015, the Dutchman is liable to go for over three times that fee to either Liverpool, Chelsea or Manchester United in January. Having seen the player at close quarters, none are baulking at such a mammoth fee.

    If the sell-on clause will generate Celtic another welcome return on a player they paid Groningen just £2.6m for in 2013, Kennedy feels the real perk is the belated awakening of top-six English Premier League teams to the fact they were mistaken to overlook the player as he first broke for the border.

    ‘In the last year, that attitude has changed,’ said Kennedy. ‘Southampton have taken a few off us and other players have moved to teams. All of a sudden, the big boys think: “We want a piece of this”.

    ‘Now they are seeing that we do produce good players. We are getting good players in and we’re making them better.

    ‘So instead of having to pay two or three times the price further down the line, I think you’ll see, in the near future, that some of the big ones will come and pluck the very best that we’ve got because we do have high-calibre players.

    ‘Moussa (Dembele) is getting all the headlines just now, but on top of that we have a lot of players in the squad who could go and play Premier League football quite easily.’

    Van Dijk’s progress on the south coast has been seamless. For those who watched him train day-in, day-out at Celtic over two years, his development to the point where his transfer fee being quoted is akin to a telephone number has come as no surprise.

    ‘I think he’s the best centre-back in England,’ said Kennedy. ‘Virgil is the type of player, when you look at his game and the stature of him, who could play for any team he wants to. Even Barcelona. That’s the level I see him at.

    It would be stupid of some of the big teams in England not to make a move for him.’

    When Celtic reinvested around one-third of Van Dijk’s fee in Jozo Simunovic, they felt they had replaced like for like. The Croatian’s first year in Glasgow became so pock-marked with injury, however, the investment looked destined to be eventually written off.

    When Torino volunteered to relieve Brendan Rodgers of the player in August, few were of a mind to put up the road blocks.

    Four months and one collapsed move later however, the 22-year-old has demonstrated his credentials. A cohesive partnership with Erik Sviatchenko has been the cornerstone of an undefeated start to the domestic season. Torino have reignited their interest. Comparisons with Van Dijk do not look completely out of place.

    Jozo is a top centre-back,’ explained Kennedy. ‘Even when we looked at him way back when he was at Zagreb, he was the one everyone agreed was the best option.

    ‘He’s been terrific, a fantastic boy to work with. Great attitude, super professional. Everything he does is for his career and for the good of this club. He is in a good position at the moment, so it is just about maintaining that for him.’

    Kennedy might well have uttered the same words about Van Dijk 18 months ago. So could Simunovic develop into a similar asset? One who might cut out the middle man and go straight to Liverpool or Manchester City in the future?

    ‘Good question,’ he smiled. ‘It’s a tough one. Van Dijk is a top player. Even when I worked with him here, I don’t think people appreciated what he was all about when he was playing in Scotland.

    ‘A lot of English media and teams looked at him and thought: “We’re unsure”, but he’s the very best.
     
    ChrisMoh and mygirlmaria like this.
  14. mygirlmaria

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2009
    Messages:
    19,140
    Likes Received:
    760
    Location:
    Edinburgh
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Kenny Dalglish
    Fav Celtic Song:
    you'll never walk alone
    Where was this piece from mate?
     
  15. CalgaryBhoy

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2015
    Messages:
    4,511
    Likes Received:
    2,115
    Location:
    Calgary, AB
    Fav Celtic Player:
    Tha Thumb
    Daily Mail, via the Celtic News iPhone app :50:
     
    mygirlmaria likes this.
  16. Henrik 07 Gold Member Gold Member

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2012
    Messages:
    160,758
    Likes Received:
    88,536
    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]



    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2016
  17. Zander Gold Member Gold Member

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2010
    Messages:
    23,800
    Likes Received:
    6,382
    Location:
    Irvine
    Brendans loving that story.:giggle1:
     
  18. Just Kieran Gold Member Gold Member

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2008
    Messages:
    14,785
    Likes Received:
    1,803
    That's a caption competition waiting to happen.
     
  19. Deco67

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2013
    Messages:
    1,833
    Likes Received:
    272
    Location:
    Newcastleton, Scottish Borders
    As previously stated when we were so dire defensively under Deila he took a lot of flak- defence improved so much this year so surely he is due some praise?
     
  20. joemc

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2009
    Messages:
    6,350
    Likes Received:
    2,081
    we seem to have stopped the ,trying to throw away our lead ,at the start of the season we had this unhappy knack of conceeding 2 goals after scoring 2 or 3 ,i wonder wot had stopped this ,manager ,new players ,tactics?