This time last season, Celtic were pushing for a Treble under Brendan Rodgers.
Fast forward, and Celtic are possibly heading towards going the season trophyless, which would probably sum up the manic and abject campaign that has unfolded.
Of course, Rodgers leaving Celtic in October was the one that generated the biggest headline, but John Kennedy’s heading for the exit door was just as important.
Kennedy left after over two decades of service to Celtic, and Darren O’Dea gave the Hoops legend his flowers.
What message would you send to John Kennedy after his contribution to Celtic’s successes? Let us know in the comments.
Darren O’Dea says John Kennedy leaving Celtic ‘bigger’ than Brendan Rodgers
Speaking on Open Goal, O’Dea shared that the plan was for Rodgers to see out his contract, but of course, Dermot Desmond saw otherwise.
The former Republic of Ireland international is certain that Rodgers ‘didn’t get sacked’, even though Celtic’s man at the top had seen enough.
Either way, the talk turned to Kennedy’s role at Celtic and the impact he had on the day-to-day work at Lennoxtown.
O’Dea shared that the staff at Celtic were ‘running to Kennedy’s tune’, and he was the man in charge.
That’s why O’Dea feels that Kennedy leaving the champions of Scotland was ‘bigger’ than Rodgers heading for the exit door.
“I don’t know if this is factual,” said O’Dea. “But my understanding was that he (Rodgers) would have left at the end of the season. That would have been the end of his contract.
“With the way he previously left the club, he certainly wanted to honour his contract. A lot has happened. It’s culminated in Dermot Desmond having enough. I don’t know if Brendan went in and offered his resignation. Nobody has an idea because he didn’t get sacked; he left.
“Then there is a wipeout. John Kennedy left. Paul Tisdale has eventually left after Wilfried Nancy. The amount of change is just incredible.
“But I am going to make a comment, and I should probably keep this to myself. John Kennedy leaving Celtic is bigger than Brendan Rodgers leaving Celtic, in terms of impact.
“He has been there for 27 years or whatever. That staff there runs to his tune. He runs that staff. Neil Lennon always put a tag over him, which I thought was great, ‘chief of staff.’ He runs the day-to-day. He is loyal to the manager and does what the manager wants. But he runs the staff, and the staff won’t have liked seeing that.”
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