THE PRESSURE is piling on Wilfried Nancy as he prepares for a derby day baptism of fire at Parkhead on Saturday.
The patience of the Celtic fans has already been sorely tested with the Frenchman suffering five defeats in his first seven games.
In the midst of that depressing sequence, the champions have shed nine points from a possible 15 and start 2026 three points off the pace behind Hearts.
Danny Rohl’s Ibrox outfit are three adrift of the Hoops and can draw level if they are successful in the German’s first all-Glasgow encounter.
HEAD BOWED IN DEFEAT…Wilfried Nancy walks off the Fir Park pitch as joyful Motherwell players celebrate their 2-0 win over the struggling champions.
It was an unthinkable situation just a couple of months ago, but back-to-back defeats against Dundee at Dens Park and Hearts at Tynecastle – Brendan Rodgers’ last two league outings as the team’s chief – and three losses to Derek McInnes’ pacesetters, Dundee United at Tannadice and Motherwell at Fir Park have opened the door to challengers.
The latest reverse against the Lanarkshire club on Tuesday has left Nancy facing intense scrutiny in the second derby of the season after the first limped to a scoreless conclusion in Govan with Russell Martin in charge of the hosts and Rodgers making a less-than-memorable farewell to the fixture in September.
Examining a potential powder keg situation, former Celtic goal hero Chris Sutton said: “If you think about Wilfred Nancy, this game is hero or zero.
“There are Celtic fans who are still absolutely not convinced with him.
“However, if he gets a win, then it’ll be: ‘We believe in Wilf’. If he loses, it’ll be: ‘He’s a dud, get him out’.
“Wilfball is here to stay, he’s gonna play that way. Celtic will be vulnerable at times. I just think it’s impossible to call.”
Sutton, speaking to Sky Sports, continued: “Rangers will be disciplined and I think they’ll just look to hit Celtic in behind.
“I haven’t got a clue what will happen on Saturday. Celtic could have a 30-minute spell and win 4-1, but on the flip side, you could see Rangers going there, putting up a decent rearguard show and then catching Celtic on the break.
MAKING A POINT…Wilfried Nancy urgently requires a derby success.
“We did go through a few years where you knew Celtic would win and it’d be a cricket score.
“Now, because of the managerial changes at both clubs, and them trying to find a style and a way of playing, I think it’s really fascinating.”
Sutton refused to rule the Ibrox side out of the pursuit for the championship and added: “Rangers are still in a title race.
“Nobody knows what Danny Rohl has up his sleeve in January.
“Also, this season is not like previous seasons, where we all expect Celtic to go on a 14-game winning run.
“We can all see Celtic dropping points. We can all see Hearts dropping points, too.”
Celtic, with Ange Postecoglou and Rodgers successful in two consecutive years, are aiming to clinch their fifth flag in a row and a record 56th crown in their history.
The onus is on Nancy to deliver on Saturday to propel the team in the right direction during a strenuous period at Parkhead.
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