WILFRIED NANCY refused to press the panic button after a 2-1 debut loss to Hearts at Parkhead.
Celtic blew the chance of going to the Premiership pinnacle for the first time in 72 days after the amazing transformation under interim manager Martin O’Neill following five successive league victories.
However, Nancy saw his new-look 3-5-2 formation come unstuck against an Edinburgh side who netted with their first shot at goal through Claudio Braga just before the interval.
Lawrence Shankland, looking in a suspiciously offside position, then forced a save from Kasper Schmeichel at the concession of a corner-kick.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT…Wilfried Nancy reflects on the debut-day defeat from Hearts. Image courtesy Celtic TV.
The hosts’ defence failed to pick up Oisin McEntee from Harry Milne’s right-wing deadball delivery and he nodded in a second goal in the 65th minute.
Two goals in three attempts and maximum points to open up a three-point gap although the Hoops have a crucial game in hand.
Kieran Tierney’s stoppage-time strike served only as a consolation as a wet and miserable afternoon came to a conclusion.
The hosts made chances – Daizen Maeda squandered two glorious opportunities in the opening 10 minutes and Reo Hatate hit the crossbar in the 87th minute – and Nancy preferred to look at the positives from the performance rather than dwell on the failures.
The Frenchman, speaking to Celtic TV, observed: “We had a good first-half. We could have been cleaner in the final third because we had opportunities, but we missed a bit of the final pass and execution.
“I saw some really good things in terms of the mentality and intensity, but now we need to be cleaner when the moment comes.
“This isn’t the result that we wanted, but I saw good things and also some things that we need to improve.”
The next challenge for Nancy is Thursday night’s Europa League vicit of AS roma that will be followed by the Premier Sports League Cup Final against St Mirren at Hampden on Sunday.
EARLY WAKE-UP CALL FOR WILFRIED
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