“I only have 13 practices with my team, usually we have four weeks of preseason.” That’s what Wilfried Nancy said on Friday, before the weekend’s capitulation at Celtic Park. He added, “It’s totally normal that my players need a bit of time, it’s totally normal that my players could be confused at certain moments.”
The Gods of XG back up Wilfried’s belief that Celtic have been unfortunate in not picking up more points than they did. The defeat to Hearts falls into that category, but the second half turnaround by Dundee United and Newco, and entirely inept performances against St Mirren and Motherwell, deserved nothing better.
“New players, a bit of time” – elements the manager suggests will help. True. Spending many millions on players to beat St Mirren and Motherwell will almost certainly work. This is Scottish football. Read the Uefa league tables, if you want to check the standard. Our player stock is already vastly superior to anything most of our opponents can acquire, adding even more £1m salaried pros will inevitably help.
We can agree that without a preseason to practice, it is normal that players look as confused as they appear to be. The concern many have expressed, is why, when the required practice time was not available, or the squad not suitable, did we cast off in this direction?
My suspicion is, Wilfried looked at our history of winning practically everything, and perhaps the Uefa tables, and thought, “We’ve got this”. He surely did not expect Motherwell’s new manager to win so comfortably at home to Celtic.
Five weeks into the job, it is too late for the manager to revert to the system Martin O’Neill used to get Celtic consistently over the line (and little more). Wilfried’s reputation has been staked on this being the correct path. He will continue until it works or he is relieved of his duties. To be fair to Wilfried, this is probably the only way he knows to win, so he has no choice.
You and I have no experience of defeats arriving at this rate, so the impact is bound to be profound. That we are here due to a tactical change which has not had the required practice, points to poor decision making.
At that presser on Friday, Wilfried said, “Do your job”. The lad is bold, if nothing else. Having the best plan in the world is worth nothing if you allow the foundations to burn around you. It is time to get the job done, Wilfried.
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Hola ?
Tambien ?
Trezuguet ?
Here’s part of The Athletic’s column on Amorim’s departure from Man Utd;
The countdown started on Saturday when Amorim admitted the 3-4-3 system he’d been sticking to with bloody-minded stubbornness wasn’t clicking, and nor did he have the players to make it click (prompting the question of why he was sticking with it). At Leeds, he went much further with a stream of petulant comments, hinting at serious friction behind the scenes.
Sound familiar?
Just go…
Act well.
Have to say I was disappointed not to see an RNS announcement this morning.
We’re running a very fine line between giving him a chance and acting before it’s too late.
P67 writes ‘…it is normal that players look as confused as they appear to be.’
Few looked confused in that first half. Only wans that did were wearing hun hues.
Evidently then, the players can play his preferred style; yet why no drilled contingency for when teams tactically redeploy? I mean, are the players fighting their natural instincts of how to counter even journeymen teams?
It’s a head scratcher that the new (old Ange varietal) works and fails in equal measure.
The difference between the two teams was the 9mill quid striker who took his chances; mind you, most currants would have driven him back to Everton personally as he’s been crapola for several months.
Mibby Johnny K will come good. Or Kels will get fit one day ?
HopeAndPray CSC
I see that Celtic have put in an offer for a right sided player from some team in Israel.
Oh well I suppose Yang will be sold .
“To be fair to Wilfried, this is probably the only way he knows to win”
Actually, it’s increasingly apparent that this is the only wat he knows.
Which is why we’re not winning.
Here’s a good take on what Rohl changed on Saturday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWnv0VmkXaQ
Bro Wild didn’t have anything to come back with.
Same every match.
This pony has but one trick.
couple of typos between mouthfuls, sorry, but you get the gist I’m sure
Why have players been given Sunday and Monday off?
The Manager has been complaining he hasn’t enough time with play
This only ends one way. Unfortunately it will be when the league has gone and the sheysters can blame the manager for giving him time and it not working.
Blogger GM your road to Damascus is quite a sight. That last post even had , very small admittedly , a criticism of the board you love.
It is time to get the job done, Wilfried.
—-
How much more evidence is needed to see that this isn’t working and isn’t going to work ?
He is out of time. His time should be up.
His continued employment is more evidence we have a nonfunctional board.
And I disagree that more players will help. It won’t, we’re systematically broken.
ONIL, karrect. Good to see some of us working this out.
timmy7_noted on 5th January 2026 12:27 pm
ONIL, karrect. Good to see some of us working this out.
Or maybe when Auchinleck put us out the cup….
Looks like there are no shortage of clubs who act swiftly when they can see a manager who is failing to take them to their potential. Then there are clubs who are simply not remotely interested in reaching their potential……
to the fans – Behave
to WN – Do your job
to the rest – lets make sure we book some tables for the u20 mens 6 nations in feb
timmy7_noted
noted
Timmy – I’m fortunate that I’m able to understand that two things can be correct at the same time.
Were they right to get rid of Rodgers – yes (although it took them far too long).
Have they made a mess of his replacement – yes (and they’ll probably take too long replacing him as well).
Hope that helps👍
Some here have suddenly, I might add, become concerned about human rights abuses in the Middle East. Is it the human rights violations and genocide being carried out by the illegal statelet calling itself Israel that they’re fretting about, you ask?
It most certainly is not. Their concern is Saudi Arabia.
It’s perplexing why these craven hand-wringers are so troubled by the House of Saud all of a sudden…
Everyone should clean up their own backyard before knocking on their neighbour’s door.
Wasn’t John Reid in Labour when the lies about weapons of mass destruction were peddled?
That led to the killing of over half a million people.
Pay attention.
The only job Wilfreid needs to get on with is the job of packing his bags . Of course that won’t happen until Desmond and the board get on with the job of admitting they’ve made an error and rectifying it .
Lots of jobs needing to be got on with and those are just the starters .
I think we are all about to see why the so wise people in charge of Celtic stockpiled all that cash.
Paul talks about spending “many millions” knowing full well that is not what we do. At best I suspect that Nancy will be allowed £5M to spend and that includes the sale of Yang and possibly Maeda. The big issue is can our genius negotiator get any deal over the line?
Ultimately finances will resolve this situation. If the merchandise is down on expectations and fans simply stop attending then the surplus will have to be used to support the day to day running of the club.
Even our gallant custodian won’t allow that to go on long. I expect Nancy to haunt our club until season ticket renewal time. It is a play we’ve seen many times across the city.
We were always told by the Board we needed a large surplus to avert a crisis. Most, like me assumed that meant overspending in the market, little did we think it would be to cover for their negligence and incompetence.
For any business to get decisions so wrong for so long, with no effect on the Boardroom, speaks volumes for where we are.
Our players had a pre-season under Brendan & Co, with top class training sessions, got a reboot under Martin & Co again with top class training sessions…
Brother Wilfried took over the day after Celtic got a hard fought victory over Dundee, Martin still in the building, and carried out a training session, one he continually interrupted, which was a total and utter shambles. Compounded with pitchside coaching using a Ludo board two days later against Hearts. And so it goes…
DazedandconfusedCSC
IMHO This Guy is not our guy
This is why
On arrival he afforded Martin O’Neill 15 minutes (according to MON) and no time to Shaun Maloney
Our strongest asset was our defence – he has destroyed our best performing part of the team
He has the players running at full throttle non stop – after Half Time their energy levels have dropped considerably – this is why we collapse after half time
His substitutions do not change the play or improve our performance
Our shape is all over the place leaving loads of space for opposition to attack
He (Nancy) talks to reporters like they have no clue about football – he is arrogant
I see no camaraderie with the players it’s like there is a wall between them
I cannot listen to him without thinking he is bullshitting me
He has lost 6 out of 8
This guy is not our guy
67ECW
I may have missed it but I don’t recall anyone on here back in the day saying we should have turned away £25 million of Saudi money.
Blogger GM, congratulations, that must have been hard for you.
Any manager worth his salt will have his team schooled in two formations at a minimum – and these days that will also be varied with high presses, mid blocks and low blocks.
To have a single formation that cannot adapt to changing game circumstances in this day and age is just unfathomable and is no foundation for future improvements.
Do your job Wilfred is an empty phrase. There’s nothing there, even if he thought as Paul67 states we are (were) a winning machine after a couple of games it was obviously not working. Not changing things or adapting to other managers’ changes means he won’t (too stubborn/ arrogant) or can’t ( out of his coaching depth) then both scenarios means he should not be managing Celtic.
This is a car crash which has 100,000s of witnesses but those who can ensure that it turns out to be a minor bump by sacking him seem unable or unwilling to do it before it becomes fatal and our season is done.
He’s out of his depth as are too many decision makers in the Executive.
Only Desmond’s ego can save the season as he will not like the taunts and humiliation from other clubs/supporters.
What a pathetic scenario for all concerned, especially players and supporters!
Fair enough article Paul, IMHO
‘The concern many have expressed, is why, when the required practice time was not available, or the squad not suitable, did we cast off in this direction?
My suspicion is, Wilfried looked at our history of winning practically everything, and perhaps the Uefa tables, and thought, “We’ve got this”. ‘
————
I have a different suspicion as to why we cast off in this direction.
Someone intimated to Wilfried Nancy he had a mandate to do so.
Not really, Timmy. I just consider myself fortunate to have a brain.
Admissions coming fast today!!!
“He will continue until it works or he is relieved of his duties. To be fair to Wilfried, this is probably the only way he knows to win, so he has no choice”
Totally agree Paul.
There’s an almost perverse indefatigability about it which, in other circumstances, might be considered laudable.
We’re midstream with this horse.
I’d give him two more players and until the morning of 05 February.
Reckless? Aye, maybe.
Call and raise (but not all in)
Blogger…
“You lucky, lucky bas****”
I wouldn’t give Nancy another 5 seconds in the job, he will never win anything for Celtic. Any sympathy for him has also been torched by his intransigence and stupidity, every team knows how to beat us and this is getting worse.
in our entire history. in all those seasons and at any point at all has any manager lost 6 games in 8 ?
plc executives DO Your Job.