Incoming Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy insists he is ‘aware’ of fan criticism towards the Celtic board…
However, the new Hoops manager avoided addressing the matter head-on and redirected the discussion squarely to on-field matters. The Frenchman focused his answer on the aspects he can control in his daily work, distancing himself from the broader political issues around Celtic.
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It was a careful and measured stance, though it may still leave some fans unsure of his position as the debate has intensified in the past couple of weeks following the club’s AGM and subsequent bans on firstly the Green Brigade and yesterday at 11.31am – The Celtic Star and the rest of the Celtic Fan Media still working the club on their rota system.
It’s worth pointing out that many fan media outlets, including significant sites like The Celtic Blog, Video Celts and 67 Hail Hail had already left the fan media sites working the the club for a variety of reasons,
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Nancy described his job as being about shaping the team’s style, enjoyment of the game and everyday professionalism, rather than getting involved in the relationships between the board and the supporters.
Although it makes sense for the 48 year-old just a few days into the role to take that stance, it’s still uncertain whether his footballing approach can genuinely rebuild trust among a fanbase disillusioned with the board.
Nancy’s comments suggested he sees cohesion emerging from what happens on the pitch rather than from statements off it. With a top of the table clash tomorrow afternoon, followed by Roma’s trip to Celtic Park on Thursday and then the Premier Sports League Cup final, he may well be right.
Speaking at his first media conference yesterday, Nancy said via Celtic’s YouTube channel: “Listen, I am a coach, you know, so my job is to be the manager. And after that, I work with this club because I think there is really good potential, and I want to be here for that. And the idea is to do it again.”
“So after that, my role is to bring joy with the way we’re going to play and the results we’re going to have. This is the only thing that I can control. And beyond that, I will try to control what I can.”
“And after that, like I said, I cannot do everything. So I am aware of this, but the idea is to connect. We have a value that is really important for me. It’s a we, not me. We, not me. So this is something we are going to stay focused on, on the pitch.”
Conor Spence
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