Callum McGregor has shown others at Celtic a lesson in respect, in leadership
Dermot Desmond wasn’t slow to put the boot into Brendan Rodgers with a blistering attack on the club website.
This was on the manager that had led Celtic the previous day against Hearts. Apparently Rodgers was the cause of all of the problems that have beset Celtic this season.
The natural conclusion is to ask why he wasn’t sacked with such deep rooted problems.
27 YEARS ALMOST AIRBRUSHED
Barely noticed, John Kennedy left Celtic the same day, after 27 years service. It still isn’t known if he resigned or was sacked.
On Wednesday morning Celtic issued a statement update on their coaching staff. Kennedy was one of four coaches to leave. Given the same acknowledgement as Adam Sadler, Jack Lyons and Glen Driscoll.
McGregor knows differently.
Alongside Kennedy and James Forrest, Kennedy was highly involved in five treble successes over the last decade.
Before 2016 Celtic had won the treble three times. Kennedy leaves Celtic with five on his CV, he has assisted Rodgers, Ange Postecoglou and Neil Lennon.
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McGregor said:
It’s only right that we speak about him in terms of how good a person he was, how good a coach he was, how good an assistant manager he was,” the club captain reflected. “He will be sorely missed. Maybe he never got publicly the admiration he deserved, but for everyone inside this building, they hold him in the highest regard.
It feels like the end of an era, from the manager being here the first time, to the manager and John leaving the second time around. We always had that stability, with John being here as an assistant manager. People probably look at reasons why we were successful, it was that stability, was the training level, was the standards, and the attitude everyone displayed every day.
These ten years have been hugely successful in the club’s history and it is down to guys like John and the manager, and the players, James Forrest etc, who are real core parts of this club. It kind of feels like the end of an era, it’s a new chapter.
Those words were genuine, delivered with meaning. McGregor could have trotted out a couple of cliches without much meaning. It says a lot for him that he sidestepped that.
James Tavernier is a master at signing off managers and coaches, McGregor less so.
While others at Celtic have been shown up over the last week the club captain has shown real leadership.
There are plenty who could lean from McGregor.
Around his diplomatic duties McGregor will lead Celtic out at Hampden in the semi-final of the League Cup.
More than his leadership skills will be required. This is a fragile Celtic side, without the bulk of the players that have delivered the last four SPFL titles.
More onus than ever will be on the midfielder, there are plenty at the club who will be looking to the club captain to deflect attention onto the park after a horrific week showed up multiple failings in management throughout the club.
He has joined the list of the great celtic captains, no doubt. Got a feeling celtic and callum will roar back today and kick start the season.
Strange how Kennedy who along with Strachan has been dismissed as useless for years by Celtic fans is now held up as a selfless hero by the same supporters. Make it make sense.
Editor: Perhaps because he brought success and was wanted by Rodgers and Postecoglou post Celtic. Kennedy didn’t get a job at Celtic as a favour to his Dad. Strange.
Perceptions of people we don’t know personally can change through their actions and events. As a ‘permanent’ member of coaching staff he was regarded with suspicion by some as the boards placeman in the dugout and the training ground who might be elevated to the top job without ever proving himself elsewhere first. By leaving he has changed that perception. If him and Rodgers are soon installed together at some lucrative gig in the EPL, I suspect that perception would soon change again…..
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Good point. Previous reply Didn’t register the meme of thumbs up!
I’d heard that John Kennedy was an excellent coach and very highly thought of for his professional coaching ability. And that he was a personal very firm favourite of Celtics former DOF/ CEO ( Celtics Current Chairman) and had been lined up by current Chairman as next Manager a couple of times in the past but too much heat ( and meddling DD appointing BR the 2nd time) had prevented that happening.
Maybe the sacking of JK is a marker of the ending of the influence of the former DOF / CEO? ?
Kennedy was a servant and deserved better treatment than he got this week.
But I’m one of then ones that has been screaming for change in the coaching set up for years now.
It was stale, predictable and the amount of goals we concede at set pieces was mental, not to mention the lack of goals from them too.
Getting the coaching side set up properly now is as important as the gaffer.
Indeed! From what you say Eddie it does appear that the real cancer at the club is Dermot Desmond. It is eating away at the club and even at the board who are shit scared to confront him. This guy is NOT an employee nor is he the owner. This situation is exactly what Fergus warned us about. Fergus gave us a sign recently on his visit where his thoughts were – with Celtic and it fans.
The one who really has to leave here is Dermot Despond. He is not a fit and proper person for this club. He epitomises nothing of which the club and its founders envisaged and stands for.
My opinion of him stinks, as you might have gathered.
Most of the celtic directors way back from the beginnings have been ruthless businessman.
Good form from McGregor, But that is what we have come to expect from him!
Managers come and managers go. Football management is a precarious occupation.
What JK did provide was continuity in the Coaching set up, as McGregor does in the playing staff.
I have no doubt that Kennedy resigned along with Brendan and O’Driscoll et al. They probably see for themselves a future in football along with BR.
Editor: Kennedy probably doesn’t.