John Kennedy reckons there’s something familiar about this Celtic squad.
The Hoops coach reckon they are starting to look a bit Invincible. Ange Postecoglou’s men have steamrollered sides in Scotland in recent weeks as they head into Sunday’s Viaplay Cup Final showdown with Rangers in red hot form. The 4-0 canter against Aberdeen made it nine wins on the spin since the 2-2 league draw at Ibrox at New Year with the side clattering an incredible 31 goals and conceding just two.
It’s relentless, eyewatering form and it has stirred up a few old memories for Postecoglou’s trusted lieutenant. Kennedy has been part of record breaking Celtic sides in the past as a player and as a coach. He burst on to the scene as a kid and played a role in Martin O’Neill’s incredible team that went three years and 77 games without a home defeat. The first team coach was also alongside Brendan Rodgers when his men completed the incredible Invincible Treble in his first season.
Rodgers’ outfit dropped only four points all season that year on their way to the clean sweep and although the Hoops have tasted defeat this term – in the shock at St Mirren – Kennedy can see some similarities to that campaign in the class of 2022/23. He sees the same ruthless streak, the same fierce determination and frightening intensity in the same.
And more importantly, he sees the same insatiable appetite for success. They’ve have their first bite this weekend. The Viaplay Cup Final will give Postecoglou the chance to make it three trophies out of four on the back of last year’s double winning campaign.
And with a healthy nine-point gap at the top of the Premiership and a last eight spot in the Scottish Cup, the prospect of a clean sweep is very much alive. Kennedy won’t look beyond the first huge hurdle – but he knows the look they players have in their eyes right now.
He said: “You can feel it when you are part of these things. You get a sense every day the team are on it and really hungry. They have a real intent and focus. I’ve seen that through all of those eras.
“I remember it in Brendan’s team. They had the bit between their teeth and a huge hunger to succeed and to continually succeed. We’ve got a group now who have had a small taste of success, in terms of what the club has achieved over the years.
“They’ve got a taste for it and they are hungry for more. When you have that in a group it’s very strong.”
Postecoglou can see it too. And he’s using it as fuel. Kennedy said: “The manager uses it psychologically all the time. He’s very good on that side of things and motivating players.
“We certainly feel at the moment we are building towards something special. But we can’t take our eyes off the ball.”
It’s not just the Rodgers reign Kennedy can draw from. It might be 20 years ago now but the modern day Celtic trophy stockpiling machine started back in the days of O’Neill. The former Celtic and Scotland centre back was ushered into a team that contained huge characters such as Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton, Neil Lennon, Johan Mjallby and John Hartson.
Times have changed but Kennedy reckons the recent new arrivals have plenty of role models of their own to look up to.
January signing Oh hyeon-gyu has come in and looked the part in recent weeks. Alistair Johnston has slotted in like he’s been at the club for years and the likes of Yuk Kobayashi can learn from Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt as well as competing for their places.
Kennedy said: “At that time (under O’Neill) the team was really strong, when you think about the players we had back them. For a young player coming in, it was easy to play with players of that calibre.
“We have it now to an extent. It’s a different era and different players with different personalities. But with young players coming in, they can look and learn at guys like Kyogo. The likes of Yuki can look at Carter-Vickers and Starfelt. It’s different from the past but we have a good blend of experience and players with potential.”
Kennedy is hoping it will all come together at Hampden on Sunday. There’s enough spice around Sunday’s showdown, the National Stadium could open an Indian restaurant. And just to add to the mix, there are also memories of Kennedy’s minor bust up with Rangers boss Michael Beale from a few years’ back.
In fairness to Kennedy, it was Steven Gerrard’s former Ibrox coach who suffered a touch of the red mist as he was sent to the stands after squaring up with the Hoops man at Parkhead in 2019. Beale, speaking a few weeks ago, admitted: “I assumed he said something I wouldn’t have liked him to say – and I told him that. You get carried away and I accused the ref of something you can’t do.
“It was just that game, that moment. Just two minutes before, I was so calm. I’m a little bit more mature now for that. It was part of my learning.”
It’s water under the bridge for Kennedy as well. He said: “I’ve come across Michael a couple of times at various coaching things, we’ve crossed paths many times over the years.
“I’ve not spoken to him since he came back to Scotland. As I said, we’ve crossed paths doing badges and stuff but we never really had any relationship outside that. I was only speaking to the referee back then, it wasn’t much to be honest.”
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