Interim manager John Kennedy made a promise to utilise the Celtic squad over the next two days, and it unsurprisingly didn’t go down too well.
Not because fans don’t want to see fringe players and youngsters getting their opportunity of course. No, the anger comes from the fact that Kennedy has been in charge of the club for three months and hasn’t bothered dropping any of his favourites when it mattered.
Celtic have had three derby matches including a Scottish Cup one in which to play for since Kennedy arrived. We had the chance to end the season on a high with a trophy whilst ending Rangers’ unbeaten run in the league. That was the time to start giving the likes of Ismaila Soro, Albian Ajeti, and Leigh Griffiths more minutes just to name a few.
To come out with two meaningless games remaining and say that players are going to get an opportunity? It was always going to fall on deaf ears and rightly so.
Not to mention the fact that there’s still no guarantee Kennedy even does it. He made a similar promise before the recent 1-1 draw with Aberdeen at Pittodrie. He said only a couple of weeks ago that he would make changes only for all the old favourites to get a game.
John Kennedy Celtic rotation promise means nothing
You actually wonder what squad rotation will even achieve tonight. If the fringe men come in and do a job then it only reflects even worse on Kennedy’s management. That he would’ve consistently snubbed these players and played favourites won’t go down well with fans.
It’s the corner he’s backed himself into, however. He has to mix things up regardless and see whether there are others who could be doing a better job for the club than the players ahead of them. The vast majority of Celtic supporters seem to believe there’s plenty in reserve that Kennedy hasn’t been utilising.
However, it’s also about the culture that creates at the football club too. That certain players can’t or won’t be dropped is massively demoralising for those competing with them in the same position.
Switching things up for two glorified friendlies won’t do anything to dissuade the fans from feeling letdown by Kennedy. He’s too often resembled Neil Lennon, his predecessor, with both team selection and in-game management.
Below, we take a look at the reaction to the prospect of Kennedy shaking things up tonight. It’s fair to say his promise hasn’t exactly gotten the fans doing cartwheels.
https://twitter.com/maleymck88/status/1392206054386241540
https://twitter.com/drnjc91/status/1392118120475774978
In other news, we discuss why the new Celtic manager should have around £30m to spend this summer.
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