It's utterly chaotic to think Celtic may be contemplating Wilfried Nancy's future just three games into his Celtic reign - yet that's exactly where we are after three straight defeats for the new man.
It's utterly chaotic to think Celtic may be contemplating Wilfried Nancy's future just three games into his Celtic reign - yet that's exactly where we are after three straight defeats for the new man.
If his removal does come to pass - which would feel wildly premature given the state of the squad he's inherited - it would be entirely on brand for a campaign that has already lurched from one drama to the next.
Welcome to Celtic's 2025-26 season.
I'm aware I may be becoming a lonely voice in calling for Nancy to be given more time, even at this early juncture.
Many have already decided they've seen enough after defeats to Hearts, Roma and St Mirren. But can we at least acknowledge he's been helicoptered into a shambolic situation entirely created by others?
What we have is a club that appears at odds with itself - and increasingly with the support - where almost every major decision currently feels like the wrong one.
The decision to appoint Nancy may yet prove to be another of those. Time will tell. But the timing of his arrival alone demands serious scrutiny.
In recent seasons, Celtic would struggle to face a more brutal eight-day stretch than the one just endured. A top-of-the-table league clash, a European tie against a high-flying Serie A side, followed by the first domestic cup final of the season.
Who at the club thought this was sensible? Especially when the safest pair of hands available, Martin O'Neill, has since confirmed he was willing to stay on if required.
Is it too dramatic to suggest Nancy has been set up to fail? Did anyone in the football department genuinely think this was a smart call?
It could scarcely have backfired more spectacularly. That said, Nancy can't be absolved entirely either. He too could have done more to give himself the best possible chance in those opening fixtures.
For reasons that remain unclear, he appears not to have fully utilised a detailed handover from O'Neill - a puzzling decision, to say the least.
There are also signs he has attempted to implement too much, too soon, overwhelming players with information rather than easing them into change. And some tactical calls have felt completely leftfield. Liam Scales at inside left, Daizen Maeda as a number 10, Luke McCowan deployed on the left wing.
The more I write, the less convincing my case for keeping Nancy in the job becomes. Yet the principle still stands - he must be given a genuine opportunity to succeed. I don't believe these opening fixtures have offered him that.
Beyond that, several players have fallen well short of acceptable standards regardless of who's in the dugout. We've seen some truly woeful performances, and I'm not buying for a second that all of that rests on the manager's shoulders.
Perfect or not, Nancy has walked straight into a Celtic storm. The coming games will decide whether it consumes him, or galvanises him for what lies ahead.
Tannadice on Wednesday will go a long way to telling us which.
Tino can be found at The Celtic Exchange
Category: General Sports
