JOHN KENNEDY knows that this Celtic team is good. But he wants to know just how good it is.
The Celtic assistant manager will soon get his chance, and he is relishing the prospect of watching the side he has helped Ange Postecoglou to create going up against the best that European football has to offer.
The Champions League draw will finally take place in Istanbul on Thursday, bringing to an end the long wait to find out which of the European elite will be coming to the East End of Glasgow after a five-year absence from the group stages of the competition.
As well as the glamour and the famed atmosphere of the Champions League nights at Celtic Park, Kennedy is looking forward to seeing how the Celtic players fare when coming up against a better standard of player than they are accustomed to on the domestic scene, with any faults or weaknesses likely to be ruthlessly exposed.
Only then does he believe that the coaching staff will have a true gauge of where this team currently are on their developmental journey, as well as how far they still have to go, and he can’t wait to see how they measure up.
“It’s great, because it’s something we’ve missed,” Kennedy told Celtic TV.
“When you see them [Champions League nights] for yourself, and be part of it, it’s special. It’s one of the greatest nights you’ll see at Celtic Park.
“Having that again, the hysteria is building and I think everyone is looking forward to the draw and seeing who we are getting.
“Whoever we get it’s going to be tough, that’s the reality of it. At this level, every team will be strong.
“There will obviously be the big ties against the big clubs that the fans maybe want, but for us, whoever gets put in front of us we will attack in the same manner and we’ll test ourselves against the best. That’s what we’re here to do.
“It will be a real good gauge of where we are at. We know ourselves in house that we’re in a good place. We’ve had a solid start to the season, but we still know there is room there for improvement.
“So, the players, the staff, everyone knows there is room to grow there, and certainly when you come up against the best teams they will test that.
“They will give you a real clarity of exactly where you are at, so that will be the biggest thing coming out of it for us.
“It will be great to have it, there will be tremendous atmospheres and everyone is looking forward to it. But it’s really exciting for us to see how we test ourselves against the best.
“These are the games you see the reality of where you are at. Sometimes we dominate domestically, and sometimes there are faults there that don’t quite get shown up.
“But in these games, you have to be on top of your game. You have to continue to do what you do, and test yourself against the best, and that will show you where you’re at.”
Kennedy is certain that the players Postecoglou has assembled will rise to the challenge, and thrive on the opportunity to showcase their talents on such a stage. In fact, he believes it may bring out the best in some of them.
“The other side of it, and I’ve seen this many times before, is that you are actually able to go up levels, because playing against the better teams and the better opponents brings out your game even more,” he said.
“That’s what we hope happens - we’ll soon find out - but it’s certainly an exciting time for everybody to see these games once more.”
Whoever Celtic may draw, be it a major European power like Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, when it comes to the players stepping onto the training pitch at Lennoxtown on Friday morning, Kennedy wants the name of only one team to be on his players’ minds; Dundee United.
The champions face a trip to Tannadice on Sunday to take on Jack Ross’s struggling outfit, and he wants to ensure that Celtic come away from Dundee still riding the crest of a wave provided by their own strong start to the Premiership season.
“For us, as much as it’s exciting, we have to keep our minds on the job,” he said.
“The draw will come, that will be what it is, but we’ve got games to play before that comes around.
“It’s a bit of cliché but it’s one game at a time for us, because football can change ever so quickly, it always keeps you in check.
“We need to focus on what we can affect, which is the here and now and obviously the weekend, but certainly in the back of your mind you are looking forward to what the Champions League brings.
“It’s been a solid start. We’ve been scoring goals and keeping them out at the other end, so it’s a positive start.
“We know there’s still room for improvement and we’ll get better as the season goes on, but it’s been a very solid start.”
