Has John Kennedy failed his Celtic managerial audition?

It’s not clear whether John Kennedy is in the running to be the permanent Celtic manager or his current role is purely interim, until someone else is appointed. Sunday’s Glasgow Derby was a chance for him to stake his claim for the role though and prove that he is up to it.

Neil Lennon’s side struggled this season and there were questions about how much of a part the assistant manager played in that. When Kennedy was put in place as interim manager following the Northern Irishman’s departure, that provided an opportunity to see what he could and would change.

Till now, not much has changed to be honest. A 1-0 victory over a struggling Aberdeen was followed by a 0-0 draw against Dundee United, that handed the Rangers the title. And then there was Sunday’s draw at home in the Glasgow Derby. Both the results and the performances have remained pretty much the same.

Taking the 1-1 draw against the Rangers at home as an example, it was very similar to when Neil Lennon’s side travelled to Ibrox and had the lion’s share of chances but failed to take them. That time, they had lost though. After all, it has only been 3 games and with the same squad, but the approach seems to be pretty similar.

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Kennedy has not done enough to be handed the Celtic job permanently

The team selection offered little that wasn’t expected. With Vasilis Barkas available again, it was still likely Scott Bain would start. The defence picked itself based on availability and form. Maybe Greg Taylor would have been in many people’s side if fit but Diego Laxalt got the call and had one of his better games.

Ismaila Soro was not in the starting XI, with Kennedy opting for Scott Brown instead. And the big decision was perhaps going with Mohamed Elyounoussi up front along with Odsonne Edouard, and the Norwegian international did have a very good game. The substitutions left a lot to be desired though and did not have the impact that could have turned the game around in favour of the Hoops.

It does feel like the team is trying to get to the end of the season without any more negative results. That is well and good, considering the title race is already over but it is likely to not be enough for Kennedy to be handed the Celtic job on a permanent basis.