Celtic may have won the Ladbrokes Premiership title by a record margin but John Kennedy, their first team coach, has revealed that they will be striving to widen the gap next season.
Not even an undefeated domestic campaign during which the League Cup and Scottish Cups were also won, has sated their appetite for success. Brendan Rodgers’ players finished 30 points and 42 goals better off than the runners-up Aberdeen and 39 points and 69 goals ahead of Rangers in third. They won 34 of their 38 fixtures but the eight points dropped (draws at home to Rangers and Partick Thistle and away to Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ross County) still rankle, and Kennedy said that they will be aiming for a 100 per cent record in 2017-18.
It would be an unprecedented achievement for a 38-game season but, then, no Scottish team had previously managed to claim the Invincibles tag before either. “Brendan has a driven nature and that will never change,” explained Kennedy. “He is a perfectionist and, as much as the season was perfect in terms of winning things, I know that, from day one of next season, he will want to make improvements to the team.
“The players know that, too; it won’t be a surprise to them. They won’t be expecting to come in for pre-season to get a pat on the back and told how terrific they were last year. When they walk in the door it will be, ‘Where are you at fitness-wise and where do we go?’ We’ll quickly set out our targets for next season; it’s the only way to be.
“In football, if you stand still, you get caught up and, before you know it, you are lagging behind. Domestically, we are well ahead of everyone but it’s important that we don’t just keep that gap but extend it even further. I’m not just talking about the points and trophies; I’m talking about the performances. We dominated the majority of the games this year but we want to improve.
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“We want to improve our style and our performances so that the risk of drawing or losing becomes even less. If we can dominate games even more, we will give opposing teams even fewer opportunities. We will keep moving forward and see how far we can go. It will be hard to top this season but we’re going to try to become even better.”
Persuading Stuart Armstrong, the Scotland midfielder, to extend his stay at Celtic Park is key to Rodgers’ plans and Kennedy is confident that the 25-year-old, who has one year left on his contract, will commit his future to the club. “It’s going to be important for us for where we want to go, especially when the Champions League campaign comes around; we’ve got to keep the group that’s done so well together,” he said.
“We’re in a good place financially as a club; everyone within it is very happy and, for us, it’s about keeping this squad together, seeing how far we can take them and, if we can add one or two along the way that will make us better, then terrific. But the most important thing for us is getting Stuart tied down. When you have success a lot of people start looking at your players. Within the team, individuals do well and are propelled into the limelight so others start watching them but every player here wants to be part of what we want to do.
“That will be important for us going forward because, if you keep making changes, you don’t know how it will pan out. The dynamic of this squad is very good. They [the players] are at a big club enjoying success and playing good football. They all want to be a part of where we are going.”
Wages notwithstanding, Kennedy is convinced that few clubs down south can offer players the opportunities that Celtic can provide to its first-team players. “Obviously, financially, there are big incentives for moving to England but the most important thing in football, outwith that, is happiness,” he said. “All of our players are in a terrific place; they all really enjoy coming in to work every day, playing in front of 60,000 fans who are the best in the world and winning trophies. During your playing career the three things you want are happiness, being in a good place and winning things, and our players have that at the moment.”
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Add to that the chance to qualify for the Champions League and his confidence over Armstrong’s imminent decision may not be misplaced. “He’s playing the best football of his life, he’s broken into the international scene and he’s just won three trophies, so I think he regards being here as a good thing for him,” said Kennedy. Go somewhere else and it might not work out so well.”