Wilfried Nancy is set to become new Celtic manager with the Frenchman expected to start his role on 1st December…
According to a report in PLZ Soccer, the 48 year-old Columbus Crew boss is expected to join the Scottish Premiership champions on December 1 – or possibly sooner – once final agreements are in place for four backroom staff members who are due to accompany him to Glasgow within the coming week.
The report outlines that Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney will remain in temporary charge for the upcoming fixtures against Feyenoord in the Europa League on Thursday and Hibernian at Easter Road in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.
O’Neill and Maloney have taken on interim responsibilities and helped restore stability domestically following the turbulent close to Brendan Rodgers’ second spell in charge, which ended with a 3–1 defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle last month.
Maloney’s future at the club remains uncertain, with it unclear if he will resume his role in player development or earn a potential promotion to first-team coach.
Meanwhile, Martin O’Neill may remain involved in some way after securing four victories from five games in his brief second stint as Hoops boss, highlighted by a 3–1 victory over theRangers in the Premier Sports League Cup semi-final.
Nancy faces a challenging start
Nancy faces a challenging start, taking over a club whose fanbase have become apathetic of the club hierarchy. Dermot Desmond, Chris McKay, Michael Nicholson and Peter Lawwell have all faced scrutiny over the past few months for their underperformance at boardroom level.
Consistent demands for the resignation of all four executives were audible during Celtic’s late 1-0 victory over St Mirren at the weekend courtesy of a stunning strike from skipper Callum McGregor.
Tensions heightened
Tensions have been heightened following the controversial PLC AGM on Friday, where supporters quite rightfully reacted angrily to Ross Desmond’s pointed remarks about the Green Brigade. The meeting was eventually abandoned by the Chairman, deepening the rift between the club’s board and supporters.
Peter Martin reveals that the details of Nancy’s contract have yet to be disclosed, though he is expected to make his managerial debut in the home clash with Dundee on 3 December, followed by a top of the table meeting with Hearts four days later.
January transfer window
Nancy will have a tough job pinpointing reinforcements in the January transfer window alongside head of football operations Paul Tisdale to boost a squad that is short on quality in every area of the pitch particularly in the forward positions.
The incoming Celtic manager’s top priority will be to secure a seamless transition from O’Neill ahead of the Premier Sports League Cup final against St Mirren at Hampden in over two weeks time.
By the time Celtic get to Hampden we look like having had three managers in the cup campaign to reach the final and defend the trophy.
Starting with Brendan Rodgers in the earlier rounds we then had Martin O’Neill in the dugout at Hampden for the semi-final win over theRangers. And for the final on Sunday 14 December it looks increasingly likely that Wilfried Nancy will lead Celtic put at Hampden looking for his first piece of silverware as the new Celtic manager.
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I still can’t shrug off the feeling that this Nancy appointment will be the biggest blunder since John Barnes. I hope with all my heart that i will be proved wrong. Time will tell. As far as i’m concerned this appointment screams inexperienced biscuit tin variety. Demonstrating the boards lack of ambition.
If indeed Nancy is confirmed as manager, then possibly coming into the most toxic environment, that any Celtic manager has ever had to face before imo?
Hardly helped by not being the most popular choice to begin with.
Far more sceptical than when Ange was appointed, and certainly won’t have the time on his side, which Ange had within our support.
Also facing some of the biggest footballing decisions that any manager is going to have to face, with an injury list as it currently stands, want away players in place, all without even at the half way stage of the season.
How adaptable our players can be, with any changes to team shape, without a time factor, and such high demands in gaining results, is potentially a minefield for him to get through also imo?
Rodgers didn’t seem too interested in players outside of European football in general. So would imagine Nancy would be more open to the likes imo, which may speed up our recruitment process, especially as the European market seems like being far more complex for ourselves to negotiate within, by the looks of things?
A massive call no doubt, and hardly a decision that will breed confidence within our club, to begin with.
The spotlight will fall upon Paul Tisdale moreso, with his role now within our club also.
So potentially plent of variables on offer, with such a decision if and when confirmed.
Will he manage to bring the unity back into our club, for which we usually thrive upon, possibly remains doubtful with the current situation ongoing within our club imo?
So Nancy could be facing the biggest challenge any manager, has potentially ever had to face within our club.
Maybe made even harder with not getting the full backing of our support either.
The risk of such a decision, could well be used as another stick to intensify the ongoing battle between board and support?
Agree with MoN that it’s a sad state of affairs for our club to find itself in at present, especially with so much still to play for this season still, and with the opportunity available of making it a successful one still.
We use to be a club so welcoming to new additions to our club, but those days are badly fading away.
We may not be at the total broken family stage just yet, but we certainly aren’t to far away from the likes happening either.
Not the Celtic I once knew, and sick and tired of the blame games been applied to how and who gets the blame for the likes happening imo?
If Nancy is able to rebuild that unity within our club, then could become one of the best decisions ever taken within our club imo?
Interesting times lay ahead of ourselves as a club, and still wondering if we have an element within our support, who wouldn’t even want Nancy to succeed in a managers role for ourselves imo?