THE level of performance from Celtic in their win over Motherwell is exactly what John Kennedy was looking for from the team. The challenge now will be to consistently hit such heights in the upcoming fixtures and the Hoops’ assistant manager said the players are experienced enough to know hard work is the most efficient fuel for success.

Celtic’s dominant 4-1 win against Motherwell at Fir Park on Sunday saw them head into the international break on a high, however recent weeks will serve as a reminder that the lows can immediately follow.

The performance was an accurate reflection of a Celtic side who have won every piece of domestic silverware for the past four seasons and John Kennedy was delighted to see how the players responded to the disappointment earlier in the week.

“It’s always good to see a good response after a disappointing performance in midweek,” said John Kennedy in an exclusive interview with this week's Celtic View, on sale now. “Motherwell can be a tough one, a sticky place to go, so we knew it would be difficult but the boys’ attitude was great and a convincing victory in the end.

“You don’t want players to become too emotional after a disappointment and make it worse. We laid it out and reflected on the midweek game and went over what we felt went wrong. We spoke to the players and it to identify the improvements that had to be made and then put it to bed. We had to quickly refocus on the next game because that’s the one you can impact on the most.

“The players knew what they had to do at Motherwell and they went out and did very well. They started well in the game, were on the front foot and very positive. They pressed at the right times and looked dangerous on the attack.

“It’s easy to go into hiding when the pressure’s on and expect someone else to do the job but all the players were out to play their part and do the job.”

The key now will be replicating that performance regularly throughout the busy run of fixtures coming up, especially with no winter break this season. John Kennedy said that challenge can be accomplished by keeping the faith in what the team set out to do at the onset of the campaign.

“You have to be measured as a Celtic player,” he said. “At this moment in time, when people are questioning a lot of things, we have to believe in what we’re doing. It’s worked for us for a number of years now and we’ll continue to work that way and refine things.

“We’ve had results we didn’t want but we have to face up to that and learn from it. As long as we make sure we continue to we work hard, that’s the only way to turn it around.”

To read the full interview with John Kennedy, pick up the latest issue of the Celtic View. On sale now.

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John Kennedy: Our work ethic will bring consistency