Rangers loanee Kai Kennedy is struggling to make an impact at Dunfermline Athletic, who are currently bottom of the Championship amid a dire run of form.
After much speculation about his future, Kennedy headed to East End Park on a season-long loan in July with the Gers holding an option to recall him in January [Rangers.co.uk].
Under new manager Peter Grant, the Pars looked to have recruited well during the summer transfer window and were fancied to mount a genuine promotion challenge.
However, they’ve made an abysmal start to their 2021/22 league campaign, earning just two points from their opening five matches, while they were also thrashed 5-0 at Ibrox in the League Cup and knocked out of the Challenge Cup by Elgin City.
They’ve only scored once in their last six matches and Grant is now under serious pressure.
It’s not the best environment for exciting young winger Kennedy to be in and he’s struggled to make an impact over the opening months of the season.
He wasn’t involved in the Pars’ cup exits but he’s featured in four of their five league matches and is yet to contribute a goal or an assist.
The 19-year-old, who has a senior Rangers appearance to his name and was reportedly attracting attention from West Ham during the summer [Football Insider], played the full 90 minutes of a 0-0 draw with Inverness Caley Thistle on Saturday, which symbolised progress of sorts for the Fife club.
The Scotland international hasn’t produced an individual performance of note as yet, though, and he’ll be looking to put that right as soon as possible.
It’s still early days but it already looks relatively unlikely that he’ll be recalled to Ibrox during the winter window with a view to him featuring for the first team over the second half of the season.
Rangers’ win over the Pars last month set up a League Cup quarter-final against Livingston and the visitors could be without a key man for the Ibrox clash.
