John Kennedy on how Celtic intends to use the Champions League to translate performances into outcomes.
With Celtic returning to preseason training, anticipation is growing for another hectic campaign that will test the Bhoys on all fronts.
Brendan Rodgers and team will prioritize bringing players back into condition for the time being, but there is excitement among the supporters as signings are rumored to be in the works for the upcoming weeks.
Securing new players will be crucial to Celtic’s efforts to successfully defend the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup; in the meantime, Parkhead will need to have a deeper roster to compete in the new Champions League format.
On the continent, there is obviously room for growth, and John Kennedy has shown how the Hoops intend to translate strong performances into wins against some of the best.
Kennedy, who outlined Celtic’s strategy for improving on the continent, expressed excitement about the kind of influence the Bhoys may have in the Champions League this year and stressed the importance of addressing these obstacles “head-on” in the upcoming months.
“First and foremost, it’s about this here beside us (the Scottish Premiership trophy) and winning that,” he said to Sky Sports. Our main focus is on that, and while we always hope to succeed domestically, dealing with European issues presents a constant challenge.
“It’s likely that we’ve gone too long without having the desired influence on Europe. Performance-wise, we saw glimmers even from the previous year and the year before, so we know we can go in, compete with these teams, and put up strong performances; the trick is to start turning that into wins.
“This year, we will have more games due to the new format; it will present more challenges, but it is also exciting. We want to meet those challenges head-on and, hopefully, have some influence on them.”
Celtic is aware that they can do better in Europe this season, but with eight games scheduled according to the new format, they will have more chances to earn points during the Champions League’s “league phase.”
Additionally, there is increased awareness for potential new hires. For anyone looking for a rewarding professional challenge, The Bhoys can offer an excellent launching pad in front of 60,000 fans on the elite stage, which is sure to be an enticing feature.
As a fan of the Celtics, this is a thrilling time. Things ought to heat up soon, with the transfer window open and players returning to pre-season action.
