Wilfried Nancy’s nightmare start at Celtic

Wilfried Nancy’s nightmare start at Celtic

The Frenchman was only appointed 13 days ago, yet it’s been a whirlwind fortnight where many Celtic fans are already calling for his sacking. So, what's gone wrong?

The Celtic boss was barely in the door when he was faced with the tall task of facing top-of-the-league Hearts, and when Hearts took a two-goal lead, there was no way back for The Bhoys. Next was Roma, where a dominant first-half display from the Italians paired with Arne Engels missing a penalty meant Celtic went into the break 3-0, with the score remaining the same at full-time.

It set up a League Cup final against St Mirren where, extraordinarily, some fans were calling for his sacking already. This sentiment has only grown since then, with Celtic comfortably second best whilst losing their second cup final in a row, after their loss to Aberdeen back in May. Nancy’s questionable comments in press conferences have fuelled this fire, saying, "I don't need to prove anything to anyone," with many comparing him to Russell Martin on social media.

Russell Martin lasted just 17 games as Rangers manager, but there is a real possibility that if Celtic fail to defeat Jim Goodwin’s Dundee United side tonight, Nancy could last even shorter, becoming one of the shortest tenures ever. Nancy took to social media, retweeting a graphic that sparked further outrage from Celtic fans, creating a moment that will not be forgotten in Scottish football for years to come.

For many on the outside, it was a strange decision to appoint Nancy in the midst of the most important period of the season thus far whilst Martin O’Neill was doing so well steadying the ship as interim manager. O’Neill also revealed that he would have stayed on longer if asked.

So who is Wilfried Nancy?

Wilfried Nancy started his managerial career at CF Montréal, guiding them to their best ever finish in the MLS, finishing 2nd in the Eastern Conference, as well as winning the Canadian Championship in 2021.

In late 2022, he was appointed Columbus Crew manager, guiding them to MLS and Leagues cup glory in his debut season, as well as leading his side on a deep run in the Concacaf Champions Cup, eventually losing to Pachuca in the final.

He was awarded MLS manager of the year and widely regarded as an up-and-coming young manager. Similarly to the likes of Ange Postecoglou, Nancy has a certain system that he refuses to change from, which could be his downfall. Without the time to implement his system alongside his stubbornness to not change in the meantime, it could be a deadly combination for the 48-year-old.