ALEX’S ANGLE: WISE UP, WILFRIED

IF WILFRIED NANCY reckons some of the criticism that has come his way after Celtic’s bewilderingly dismal performance against Hearts is a bit over the top, I can only inform the new manager he ain’t seen nothing yet.

The depressing and disjointed display from his players in the 2-1 loss to the Edinburgh club provoked the anticipated angry response from many disgruntled observers.

However, those comments will be viewed as a mere trickle of mild rebuke compared to what the Frenchman can expect next weekend if the holders surrender their Premier Sports League Cup trophy against St Mirren at Hampden on Sunday.

The dribble of discontent after the meek yielding of three precious points to the visitors will transform into a full-blown tidal wave of vitriol if they topple at the national stadium.

CALM BEFORE THE STORM…Wilfried Nancy gives the thumb’s up to the Celtic fans as he arrives at Parkhead ahead of the Premiership encounter with Hearts.

Make no mistake, Stephen Robinson and everyone connected with the Paisley club will be more that delighted if Nancy dogmatically sticks to his favoured 3-5-2 formation.

He may be fixated on a system that might have worked at Columbus Crew, but he will have to exercise some flexibility and ditch the structure at Celtic. Right now!

In plain speaking, Nancy does not possess the players at Parkhead who fit naturally into his thought process. Auston Trusty, a left-footed player, was tasked with playing a role wide right of the back three against Hearts.

Right from the early moments, the American centre-back looked as comfortable as a hippopotamus up a tree.

Derek McInnes had watched reruns of Nancy’s team in the MLS and planned accordingly. He would not have required the tactical nous of a genius to work out his touchline rival would move Trusty further to the right of Liam Scales to assume the role.

There was clearly no chance of the new boss playing either Anthony Ralston or Colby Donovan on the right – a position to which they are more suited – and leaving out a central defender.

SOMETHING TO SHOUT ABOUT…Wilfried Nancy barks out some instructions.

McInnes’ eyes must have lit up like a Christmas tree when he saw the team lines of the opposition before the kick-off. From the start, the Hearts players, clearly working under instructions, backed off Trusty as he came forward.

The defender may have many attributes, but racing down a right wing is most certainly not one of them. The visiting team could read his every move and pounce when the ball was inevitably intercepted to kick-start a counter attack.

Amidst all the hooha and positive observations from Nancy, it is perplexing in the extreme that he did not fathom that his formation was malfunctioning big style against grateful opponents.

This is not a criticism of Trusty. It’s the old adage of attempting to fit square pegs into round holes. Cameron Carter-Vickers is not equipped to deal with the task, either.

So, my humble advice to Nancy would be to wise up and return to a back four where Trusty will feel a whole lot more secure alongside Scales in the middle of the rearguard and leave the fetching and carrying on the flank to professionals who have been operating in the role throughout their careers.

TACTICS TALK-IN… Wilfried Nancy, flanked by deputy boss Kwame Ampadu and coach Gavin Strachan, with his mini board. 

If the new team chief doesn’t immediately show adaptability in his thinking, he will deserve the criticism that will invariably avalanche in his direction.

While we’re at it it, he might want to ditch the mini tactics board. It’s impossible to conjure up images of Jock Stein going through such a preposterous action with Billy McNeill.

Yes, I know that was a different era, but where in any little piece of plastic does it instruct anyone how to get the players to pass the ball to someone wearing the same strip?

Benjamin Nygren and Arne Engels spent a fair chunk of the first-half hitting balls to The Invisible Man and Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate joined in after the interval.

It was a shambolic exercise throughout a wet and miserable afternoon in the east end of Glasgow that manifested itself into a predictable procession and Hearts hitting on the counter.

Maybe it was no wonder Paul Tisdale, Celtic’s Director of Football Operations who was instrumental in the introduction of Nancy to the club, was caught on Sky cameras appearing to nod off with the visitors two goals ahead.

Me? I was wide-eyed in alarm that Nancy had abandoned the back-four formation that had served Martin O’Neill so well, winning seven of his eight games during his interim spell.

WHAT’S THE SNORE, PAUL? Director of football Paul Tisdale appears to nod off.

There were a few puzzling aspects in the Frenchman’s maiden voyage, quite apart from the impractical 3-5-2.

How did Sebastian Tounekti remain on the pitch for almost an hour of inactivity before being replaced by the ever-willing Luke McCowan?

I’m beginning to think Tounekti and Mikey Johnston are the one and the same; easy on the eye with some excellent ball control while ultimately producing very little.

With the game running away from Celtic, why were only two substitutes utilised?

It was clear the team needed revitalised and fresh legs would surely have been welcomed.

Why replace Nygren with Johnny Kenny while the more experienced Kelechi Iheanacho remained on the bench?

And how is it at all possible Wee Cammy Devlin can ever emerge as the most influential player on the park?

Nancy has questions to answer, continuing with AS Roma in the Europa League on Thursday night and the silverware showpiece against Robinson’s eager Saints on Sunday.

Catastrophe is spelled the same in English and French. Nothing will be lost in translation over the next week or so.

ALEX GORDON  

EARLY WAKE-UP CALL FOR WILFRIED

 

 

 

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