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John Kennedy sets sights on Scottish Cup success to save Celtic's season

John Kennedy sets sights on Scottish Cup success to save Celtic's season
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The Parkhead club have already surrendered their Scottish Premiership and League Cup titles to Rangers and St Johnstone respectively.

Interim boss John Kennedy stressed the importance of ending a turbulent season on a high as Celtic prepare to begin the defence of the Scottish Cup.

The Parkhead club completed the quadruple domestic treble last December with a fourth successive final win at Hampden Park, overcoming Hearts in a penalty shoot-out.

The League Cup has since been lost to St Johnstone, who beat Livingston in the final, and Old Firm rivals Rangers ended Celtic's hopes of a 10th successive Premiership title win last month by clinching their 55th championship.

Neil Lennon resigned in February with Celtic struggling and the Parkhead club are in talks with former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe about becoming the club's next manager.

However, ahead of the visit of League One side Falkirk on Saturday night, Kennedy kept his focus on the Scottish Cup.

He said: "It is always important. It is always a good thing to have at the end of the season.

"The campaign we have had has not been as successful as in previous seasons.

"That hurts and you can feel that in the squad as well. It is not a good thing to deal with. We are used to success, we are used to winning.

"We are a club that demands so the competition that we will start this weekend is really important for us, for the campaign itself and for the players, for the hunger to go on and keep winning.

"You get used to winning. It becomes part of your nature, it becomes part of your season, in terms of striving to win as many competitions as possible.

"When you get a couple of setbacks it hurts, so it is using that hurt to motivate you to go and win the next challenge which is the Scottish Cup."

With France Under-21 striker Odsonne Edouard returning to Lennoxtown later than colleagues who were also on international duty, Kennedy will monitor the fitness of his squad before announcing a team.

The former Celtic defender said: "We will look at it.

"There are a lot of guys itching to get game time as well and at the same time we want to be going out with a strong team to win the game.

"It is an important competition. We will go strong."

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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Celtic26223176126469
2RangersRangers25165451193253
3Aberdeen26115103439-538
4Dundee UnitedDundee Utd2610793231137
5Hibernian258983737033
6Kilmarnock2687113141-1031
7Motherwell2694133045-1531
8Hearts2586113433130
9St Mirren2593133039-930
10Ross County2678112747-2029
11Dundee2676133855-1727
12St Johnstone2663172951-2221


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