“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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shaunamura
Thanks for that ,I now realise that I’m not reasonable.
Won’t sleep tonight🥴
Enjoying a wee Bunnahabhain to celebrate Martin’s return.
C’MON THE CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
https://x.com/i/status/2008275668304306315
Philbhoy on 5th January 2026 9:19 pm
Enjoying a wee Bunnahabhain to celebrate Martin’s return.
———————
Do you eat or drink it ? 🍀
Kyogo – and of course he got his wish to leave us
VOGUEPUNTER
You drink it!
And as it was larger than I meant, I’m off to bed!
Good night, Sir!
Along with manager we also sacked the ‘Head of Football Operations’.
What does that suggest about the state of football operations at Celtic?
I hope we don’t part with another penny until we have a football department that’s fit for purpose.
Three loanees that will walk in to the team, please.
Today is the biggest day of our season, we need to capitalise on it
Philbhoy on 5th January 2026 9:19 pm
A man of taste. Some great drams came out of Bunnahabhain, says this Islay man…..
As for firing the coach…. It had to be done. He wasn’t going to win anything. We might still not win anything, but we can give ourselves a chance.
He began badly, spending only 15 minutes with MON and not engaging in discussing the team. Then, he decides to play 343 with a squad that he doesn’t know.
Arrogance or stupidity, who knows?
After the game, it crossed my mind that we may not make the top 6.
I do wonder what the board saw in WN. When we saw the effect that MON and SM had on the team, it caused many of us to think that we should go with them for the remainder of the season. This would have given us time to get the right candidate.
Just another mental decision, made by people who shouldn’t be in the building.
Cheers,
Weeron
Vougepunter
glad i substiuded for Night Nurse [gregory issaacs]
we are in a bad place and the whole regime ie dd is to blame
hail hail
Hopefully, some reflection and some humility now.
Lots of key actors were issuing statements and blaming others. Perhaps if more folk considered their own actions and the impacts, we can avoid such costly mistakes in the future.
We need to unite behind Martin, support him and start acting like the biggest club in Scotland again.
Oh, and a striker please! 🙏
.
When all said and done today was the best we could have hoped for
Those two out and getting the band back together again.
Big 4 weeks ahead. Much more to be done and I don’t just mean hot water for all.
HH all. So much for dry January.
Everything is not rosy in the garden.We have that Fossil Wilson tonight telling us all to forget the last 33 days,and everybody to get together.Obviously, no mention of the fans unjustly banned,or the ban on Celtic Media being lifted, or a swift meeting with the Collective being arranged to try and bring some harmony back.Nope.Nicholson still silent.No admission from the Board they made a monumental arse of everything,no,just forget about it.
Not a word about strengthening the team.Just same old Lilian.
The fans will get behind the team,but not this shower of incompetents.
Just where the Fek is that twat Nicholson.A disgrace and a coward,in hiding.
Some thinking they acted swiftly.Really?.Any Board sending that Manager,and that team out on Saturday need sacked.Everyone knew it except those clueless bastards.Forget about it.Aye right.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Gene on 5th January 2026 9:21 pm
Kyogo – and of course he got his wish to leave us
……..
KYOGO was not a tippy tappy team striker, and especially a lone striker, destroyed like IDAH was destroyed.
A 9 Million striker made to look like Tony Cascarino, who was also mismanaged because even back then it was deemed to be a dirty team who’d play a ball over the top.
Did any of these “Celtic Way” stylistics ever see the Stein era?
Almost every second ball was over top for LENNOX, JINKY, KENNY, MACARI, DEANS, HOOD, WALLACE, HUGHES, WILSON, etc, etc, to take on their stride before scoring a brilliant goal for us.
Now they would all be a lone striker waiting for 20+ passes to be executed, before the ball was played out to the winger who’d have to turn back and recycle as all winger crossing options were blocked off.
Then fans would call the wingers “duds” because the same fans could not see that Rodgers had been found out, but it was everybody else’s fault bar Rodgers himself.
We need a Transfer Window for new fans – these wans wulny dae!
HH
oot.
Oh,and Nicholson himself told us”
,Wilfried Nancy was the outstanding candidate for the job”
That alone is grounds for his resignation.
Turkeybhoy agree , Nicholson has a yellow streak running up his back. How does someone without any leadership and communication skills lead the club, inspire and motivate people. He has zero charisma to boot and is an oxygen thief.
With what has happened if he had one ounce of integrity he would resign. There would not be a ripple if he was to leave tomorrow — in fact things would as the mood would lift. There is zero value from Nicholson just another empty suit with his head in the trough. 6 million to date he has siphoned out of the club for zero achievements and serial damage.
He is actually more out of his depth than Nancy. I have never seen such an invisible CEO lead a company (even a small one like Celtic).
Apart from that he is fine ….
Turkeybhoy on 5th January 2026 9:58 pm
Oh,and Nicholson himself told us”
,Wilfried Nancy was the outstanding candidate for the job
That’s on the assumption that the “candidates” were in the plural in the first place!
Goodbye Wilfried. Don’t forget to take your board and counters with you.
I wonder if Martin has been looking at players the last couple of weeks.
The best decisions which could have been made today have been made.
Martin returns with a ready made back up team which has the energy to complement his footballing nous. And of course Martin has a bigger role to play at the Club,…..all in good time.
Cannot see any negatives with today’s moves and the fact that Martin’s return appears to have upset Burnley78….That can only be seen as a bonus….
SILVER CITY 1888 on 5TH JANUARY 2026 10:18 PM
I wonder if Martin has been looking at players the last couple of weeks
———
Tisdale is away but there will still be an extensive scouting network in place. I would imagine Martin will have a look at potential targets that have already been identified. As some have suggested it may be that we bring in a few loans as it’s ultimately a short term appointment. It’s not an easy month to do business. But it can be done.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jan/05/celtics-nancy-catastrophe-is-another-indicator-of-a-club-embroiled-in-turmoil
Great to see MO’N, Shaun and Foz all back. I really like Maloney and would be happy to give him the gig in the summer. I think he would prove an excellent manager until CalMac was ready to step up.
On that, Callum is a stick on future Celtic manager. He could see right through that French diddy from day 1, which explains his unprecedented absence from interviews over the last 32 days. I said player power was our biggest hope and I don’t doubt Cal conveyed his displeasure to the suits.
Last word on a good day. Nicholson out. Total dud.
Wee congratulations and mention for lifelong Celtic supporter, Darren Fletcher appointed as Interim Coach at Manchester United no less. Darren last seen playing at the Celtic – Man Utd Legends match at Celtic Park earlier this season, (a role model for Engels if I ever did see one) and hopefully one to look out for in the future.
Hard Hat on
Given DD appointed Tisdale – Given Tisdale is responsible for recruitment – Given Tisdale recommended Nancy
Should we not just for a minute back of Nicholson – as apparently it was he who went to DD and said enough is enough
I’m not say we give him a song
Just saying he was probably culpable but not responsible for Nancy (Tisdale was)
But possibly more responsible for getting rid of the lot of them
Blameless no – but at least he has tried to rectify the situation
Bed time for me Dry Jan gone
67ECW
In the read back, you almost feel a weight has been lifted off the fans’ hearts and minds. A good thang.
Yet wur suits’ legendary world-class-ness vision, has needed to go back to the future for a temp solution.
For me, it will be interesting to see the work of our noo, ex-Chelsea star spotter, James Bell Walker who used to specialise as a positional scout for central defenders and central strikers, with acclaimed connections in South America.
As for incomings, our current transfer policy seems to be going from Sha-bi to Ta bi.
Au revoir et bonne chance, Wilf.
PL seen this whole sorry episode ending the way it did…
Hence his deserting of the sinking ship at his chosen time…
Nicholson could maybe save face and his job if we have a half-decent transfer window and he re-unites the Celtic Support including the Collective.
Sadly, I doubt that he has the capability or the will (and probably wouldnt be allowed to anyway).
Darren Fletcher has twin sons in the Man U squad !!!
He was boss of the U18’s at one point but only commenced once his boys had moved on from the 18s.
@TurkeyBhoy..Over the years you have been nuts.
Apologies..But by God you are hitting the nail on the head….
Revelations …Obscure deals ..etc…
Lets hope our Martin lifts the spirit of our club…..
The Mountain we Counqured on our Arrival..1887
Welcome back home Bhoys now get to work. Hail Hail. ☘
For aw naw
Then with fiery throbbing pain
No gradations of decay
Death broke at once .the vital chain
and freed his soul ..The nearest way.
Awrite Drambowie Celt been promising that stivs fella i would get down and see yeez.will be in touch and get a wee jaunt up lyle hill in coming weeks. Hope you and yours are good.
Keep it lit here
Hail Hail
Thank you Wilfried.
Enjoy your future career,it just never was here.
Circumstances outwith your control.
You are a good man.
Good luck
HH
@AT …Big man anytime …Wae the scares the last year who thought
i would be still here 2026 ffs…i get another year to bring wee one up./
Your welcome thru my door anytime..
H.H
This for Big j
Prob missed a lot of your posts big man.
Had a rough time with wee Roxys cancer…They cut her open
removed what they could from the cancer…
stitched her up and say we my get a 6 months from her..
our baby..She had ten pups now31 offspring grew four kids to primary school senior school
and gave love to them all..She coories up with me every night
“Outwith” alert…….. An Tearmann @11.24 pm.
Aff outwith