When Brendan Rodgers met his brutal and abrupt end at Celtic in October, it sent massive shockwaves through Scottish football.
Yet, arguably, the bigger shock was seeing John Kennedy walk out the doors of Parkhead alongside him.
After years of relentless dedication and service through multiple trophy-winning eras and managers, it was a profoundly sad ending for such a legendary Celtic figure.
Simply put, nobody knew the fabric of Celtic better than Kennedy.
Charlie Mulgrew hit the nail on the head when discussing Celtic’s recent issues following that crushing defeat to Dundee United before the March international break, stating flatly that ‘Kennedy leaving the club was a huge mistake.’
The former defender rightly highlighted Kennedy’s deep, hidden influence over the years, noting he ‘had a big part to play in some of the signings, in terms of giving the green light to some and the red light to others.’
So, would life at Celtic have been better if the club’s towering, iconic figure stayed on board?
- READ MORE: Celtic fans share views on where the team would be now if Brendan Rodgers were still in charge
Would life at Celtic be different if John Kennedy had stayed on board?
Share us your thoughts, Celtic fans…
Celtic’s huge mistakes with John Kennedy and Paul Tisdale
People often mention that Wilfried Nancy should have spoken to Martin O’Neill before taking the gig to truly understand the sheer weight of the job.
It’s hard to argue that Nancy desperately needed somebody like Kennedy beside him to navigate the Glasgow goldfish bowl.
You have to question if the Frenchman would still be in a job had Kennedy stayed on board because these individuals can make the biggest difference.
Yes, the 2025 summer transfer window was an absolute disaster. And, Kennedy was still in the house when some of those summer signings arrived.
But would the crucial January window have fared better with Kennedy on board? Either way, Mulgrew thinks so, as he fired shots at the departed Paul Tisdale by telling The Breakdown the Englishman was a ‘huge mistake.’
“I have been the first to say what Celtic have done in the last 25 years has been unbelievable,” said Mulgrew.
“For somebody who grew up watching the nineties. Rangers just completely dominating. What Celtic have done, obviously, I was part of some of that success. It’s unbelievable.
“I think the board deserve credit for that. But I think the last two years, Paul Tisdale has been a big mistake. John Kennedy leaving the club was a huge mistake.
“The recruitment department has been shown for what it is. I think, for me, it has shown that John Kennedy, obviously, had a big part to play in some of the signings, in terms of giving the green light to some and the red light to others.
“He obviously had a big say in that. Over the course of Ange Postecoglou. Over the course of Brendan Rodgers, the first time and the second time.
“The reason why Ange Postecoglou takes no coach anywhere, but wanted to take John Kennedy to Tottenham. That was blocked.
“All of a sudden, Tisdale comes in. Has a nightmare. Brings Nancy in. Gets rid of John Kennedy. Tisdale coming in and Kennedy leaving has exposed so much under the surface at Celtic, in terms of recruitment and stuff.”
Kennedy is enjoying himself in the Saudi sun
But what is Celtic’s loss is now Al-Qadsiah’s gain. That’s where Kennedy’s latest coaching adventure has taken him, alongside Rodgers.
To nobody’s surprise, Rodgers and Kennedy are enjoying the sun in Saudi Arabia because they have made an outstanding start to life in the Saudi Pro League.
Trying to chase down Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr at the top of the table, the former Celtic duo are pushing for the title after making a goal-crazy start at Al-Qadsiah.
- Games: 17
- Wins: 13
- Draws: 4
- Defeats: 0
- Goals scored: 46
- Goals conceded: 16
- Points per match: 2.53
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