Celtic fans might still be waiting for a striker to sign via the January transfer window, but they still have one in the building in Johnny Kenny.
When Kenny returned from his loan spell at Shamrock Rovers last January, did he think he would be the main number nine 12 months later? Not a chance.
Kyogo Furuhashi was still on Celtic’s books, and £9 million signing Adam Idah was seen as the back-up option.
But now the duo are out of the door, Kenny has started to earn more minutes and starts, but as Jackie McNamara touched upon, it’s not working out.
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Jackie McNamara on Johnny Kenny as a Celtic striker
You would think that with all the noise of Celtic wanting to sign a striker, added to Martin O’Neill expressing that there is a goalscoring issue at the club, that it would spur someone like Kenny.
But that hasn’t happened, even though Kenny scored for Celtic against Auchinleck Talbot in the Scottish Cup over the weekend.
McNamara was at Rugby Park, and he told BBC Sportscene that Kenny is a ‘second striker’, but it’s a ‘shame’ he can’t provide what O’Neill wants, and that’s being able to hold the ball up, like Chris Sutton, Henrik Larsson and John Hartson used to do.
“Celtic don’t have that target man,” stated McNamara. “They don’t have that killer in the middle to go in there and win those headers. If you have that, then you can score so many more goals.
“You can see, Kenny, it’s not his game. I think he is a second striker. I don’t think he is an out-and-out nine. With his back goal, he struggles.
“I knew, at half-time (against Auchinleck Talbot), Martin would have been saying, ‘You need to get a hold of the ball, son. You need to get a hold of the ball.’
“That’s what Martin liked about the strikers he had. Sutton, Hartson and Larsson. These guys would get hold of it. That was their job. Balls into the box, and they would go and attack it.
“That’s what Celtic are lacking just now. Kenny, it’s a shame because it’s not his game – that is something Celtic need to try and fix this window.”
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Kenny’s season in numbers
Celtic have two huge games coming up this week, starting with a trip to Italy to face Bologna in the Europa League.
The champions of Scotland need positive results, or else, they will be eliminated.
And then it’s the small matter of facing Premiership leaders Hearts; there is a distinct possibility that Kenny starts at least one of those games.
- Games: 21
- Starts: 12
- Goals: 6
- Assists: 2
- Total minutes: 1,095
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