When I saw the lineup, with Celtic going three at the back, I concluded that Wilfried Nancy’s concerns after watching Celtic struggle at home to Dundee on Wednesday were as acute as my own. In a well-operating side, changing formation is an unnecessary risk. In a team which for long periods recently against Dundee, Hibs and St Mirren looked as fragile as a bubble, change is what the new manager was brought in to do.
It started so well. Hearts were unable to take possession inside the Celtic half. Celtic’s extra man in midfield made them look like a pack, hunting and winning the ball within seconds of being dispossessed. The visitors only progress up-field relied on errors from the home side. Poor defending led to both goals, but while Celtic were in control of the game until the opening goal two minutes before the break, there were worrying signs for Nancy.
Daizen Maeda is not a centre forward. His purple patch in that position last season was a small sample size, the legacy effects of which linger. Twice he could have put Celtic ahead in the early stages of the game. Sebastian Tounekti can do little more to earn an assist than take a 50-yard pass on his chest and roll it in front of a striker who is clean through.
Daizen is our most valuable asset and is suited to play the position when Celtic are forced to defend against top sides in Europe, but is a poor fit there domestically. Play Daizen on the right and Johnny Kenny through the middle. Kelechi Iheanacho will soon be available for consideration to add options.
I am sure Celtic will persist with the back three, but there is an obvious modification required. As well as his normal left-back roll, Kieran Tierney has played wingback, left wing and right-back. He is significantly more suited to playing on the right of a back three than Auston Trusty. Trusty is not a player to forage down either wing, he should play in the middle. That would allow Liam Scales – who has played left-back – to play on the left.
Despite the lacklustre performance, had Kenny’s header or the resultant shot from Reo Hatate gone in, Celtic would not have lost the game. The manager has a week (and a lesser-important Europa League game) to fine-tune the system before Sunday’s vastly-important League Cup Final.
You and I have discussed new Celtic managers here when they started with defeats to Hearts (2021) and Lincoln Red Imps (2016). Thankfully we were not around to record our thoughts after defeats to Hibernian and Dunfermline in 1997. Results like these have been a consistent marker of growth.
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EK Bhoy – Rodgers more of a megalomaniac than a spiv. Say what you like about his faults he delivered huge success for us – even though it was time for him to go. What’s Spivdale ever done in football? Absolutely zip. Watch his YouTube video and tell me you’d buy a used car off this geezer. Absolutely full of it.
On another note, what is the story with Balikwisha? This injury prone team is honking, particularly up front and this guy can’t get a look in. We paid £5.2 million for him and he looked absolutely rotten in the few cameos he’s made. Yet his track record in Belgium is really strong. Like Engels have we just paid a lot of money for a guy who just doesn’t fit our system? If so, why? Even if it’s based on a projected future sale profit it makes no sense. He’ll lose value if cast in the wrong movie. It’s baffling.
the bada bing
Seemed to me a well thought out proposal. not out of place in those parts.
Nor the jobs that go with it. That’s two good pieces of news today….
Just waiting word on the Prestwick Pele…
Tounetki is an example of a club that DOES NOT GET THE FACT, that if you do not play on the break, using quick high balls for the winger to run onto, then the winger will be double marked by the time he gets the ball forcing him to repeatedly turn back and face the tut tutting fans who’ll call him a loser, but they will say nothing about the stupid manager and his stupid deployment of wingers.
Wilf is a PLC plant – for Old Firm Preservation reasons.
Wilf’s duties:
Take the brown PLC envelope and bluff your way through the season making sure thay ANYBODY BUT CELTIC win the trophies.
These PLC movers and shakers have always got schemes dripping in deception.
Wilf has been told by your superiors that you are all dumb and will just suck it up anyway!
I hope I’m wrong.
But I was right before. Once.
HH
oot.
KEV J your a complete fecking idiot
St Mirren have sold over 13k for Sunday
Kev J
send us a photo when you next see scottish opposition defending high….
would love to see what that looks like
dearie me.
wont be a sold out cup final.
again
lionroars67 on 8th December 2025 3:38 pm
On the formation WN set out yesterday was it 5-4-1, 3-4-3, 3-4-2-1 I struggled to follow the tactical set up I was not alone
Even following H/T WN had to call the Captain over twice to explain via tactics board where players should be operating, not good optics to say the least
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People can only call it as they see it. Sunday’s second half must never be repeated. Here’s hoping we’re all praising a much more coherent display on Thursday night.
AN DÚN on 9TH DECEMBER 2025 5:59 AM
Timing of an appointment can be very important
Brain processing information in a short time period can be problematic
Implementing new tactical systems and individual instructions for teams takes time, repeated training day by day using tools such as match simulations, small sided games etc to ensure that the player knows what is expected and has the confidence in executing a well coached game plan, that takes time no matter how good a coach you are
Two days before a top of the table game ahead was not the time to go full experimental IMO
Team was on a winning league run, through practicality management, balanced team planning, defending very important, it may not be WN ethos or philosophy, he did’nt get to know the players or understand them or the club in two days, that’s a concern for me that he felt implementing his ethos took priority over winning, Managers/Leaders/coaches get sacked over results incontrovertible fact
A win on Thursday would be very welcome, take a draw now, but my concern won’t leave me
aff oot
lionsroar67
What should have been more important, for all things Celtic, was to keep our momentum going, one achieved by a combination of very good performances and dug deep results. After about twenty minutes we never looked like we were going to keep our results based form going. Now, I am of those who supported the idea of keeping Martin, Shaun, Mark (who made a big personality impact on the squad quick time) and Gavin, on board at least until January and see where we were as a team, and indeed as a Football Club, (ideally without the distractions) in the LC, in the EL and there or thereabouts in the SPL which has a long long way to go. Never against bringing in a new Coach, like Ange or Wilfried with new ideas, with a new approach, but fact is we missed an opportunity to bury Bloom, Mcinnes and Hearts all in one rainy day in Glasgow and we failed to take it. And now it is us, not they who have to start again.
If he goes in with 3 4 3 on Thursday with our lack of pace in defence and all of the midfield it will be a sore one. I want him to get real and play a game that matches what our players are capable of in the here and now.
Hopefully the Barrowford dome will be used these next 2 days or does nobody check weather forecasts.
Barrowfield
Still feeling the effects of Sunday. Conflicted on the tactical changes – on one hand there was a risk but on the other Hertz troubled us once with first half offside mix up and once with a shot from edge of the box in the second. Difficult to say that the set up was a problem defensively with those numbers especially against the MSMs favourite front three…..
Tactics are one thing but the quality of players is a prerequisite. Whether it is skills, intelligence and physicality if you don’t have them you are already in a hole. It’s remarkable how the quality in our squad has diminished. Domestically we are literally always going to be up a against a block and it’s far easier to be destructive and hold defensive shapes etc which is why we need players that are more skilful, more intelligent and physically faster or stronger than our opponents. MON first time round would not have achieved all he did without Larsson, Sutton, Petrov etc so no matter how smart the coach is you need the right players.
According to the DD/RD statement we decided not to put the club at risk (their words not mine) and did not procure the required quality – it is that simple. They think they have some magic dust or an insight that others don’t have but we all know that is just nonsense and that we are all swimming in the same pool. Some have more resources than us, fair enough, but others who don’t are better at it or more likely just try a bit harder.
Celtic’s wounds are once again self inflicted and where we should be looking to push on the reality is we are clinging on and it’s very sad.
There is something of the night about the board/exec ATM or perhaps it’s always been there it I don’t trust them and inch. Their PR is underhand and believe they brief against our coaches, players and fans. The recent AGM was an embarrassment from both sides but one side are an emotional support and the other are supposedly high calibre, experienced and highly paid executives – which ones would you expect more from and which ones would be happiest with the outcome? Answer that and you can see the desired directions of travel of that meeting.
We are going backwards and quickly and TBH I have zero confidence in this board/exec to right the ship.
Moisey
I’ve long since given up on their parochial vision of what Celtic is, now we don’t even dominate at home in our own league. The league is anyones.
Play Daizen on the right and Johnny Kenny through the middle.
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Brendan was playing Maeda right side with Kenny through the middle. We’ve seen it.
Kenny is not good enough to be starting games for Celtic.
MoN dropped him. He dropped Tounekti and Nygren as well.
Reintroducing these players will see the same results as we seen under Brendan.
Regarding the chat last night about Prestwick, that is great news. Know some of the Air traffic Control gand British Aerospace (or Spirit Aerosystems) guys.
I fly to and from it due to its proximity to Troon where my Dad lives. I often wonder what the Americans pay for being able to use it as a military hub.
The airport, which is owned by the Scottish Government, operates on a commercial basis and has contracts with the US Air Force (USAF), Navy (USN), Marine Corps (USMC), and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). The DLA contract makes the airport a US Government DLA fuel contract location.
Transatlantic Hub: Due to its strategic location on the great circle route for transatlantic flights, Prestwick is a convenient technical and fuel stop location.
US military aircraft frequently use the airport for stopovers, crew rest, and refuelling while flying between the US and military bases in Europe, the Middle East, or for NATO exercises.
Every time I fly into it you can see C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules cargo planes as well as KC-135 Stratotankers (air-to-air refuelling aircraft), and fighter jets (e.g., F-18 Hornets) when deploying or returning from exercises.
Then, of course. there is ir Force One: The airport is often the preferred location for Air Force One to land when the President of the United States visits Scotland. Something to do with it’s proximity to Turnberry no doubt . . .
I hope the Govt is extracting a pretty penny from them. If Russia ever attacks us, then Prestwick Airport and nearby Faslane will disappear pretty quickly.
☝️ differ to argue as it stands. They have this window to show intent and that they have “learned from mistakes” so let’s see what happens but I’m fairly sure that there’s very few that have any confidence in that.
I also meant to mention the DD BR statement. I think it makes clear that BR was given a package in return for a DNA but a package significant enough for the DNA to be one way.
Such is the level of the attack it is impossible to believe BR would not respond as it’s simply impossible for all of that to be accurate. For example the part where Brendan agreed that “board had never obstructed or not supported him” is just bollocks. Everytime they low balled in an offer (sometimes justified no doubt) or wages they didn’t support. Everytime they filled squad with JSP, Yamada type signings they obstructed. Good grief we did not buy a striker to replace our main goal threat for two windows – in what world is that support???
BR lost the room with the car chat for sure but much of that statement is just nonsense.
Wim lost to Hibs and Dunfermline. We won the league that season and stopped their 10
WGS lost 5-0 to Artmedia Bratislava but we won the league that season and beat Milan and Man U in next 2 seasons in CL.
BR lost first game v Red Imps but went on to start a treble treble and invincible league season.
Ange lost first league game but still won 5/6 trophies in 2 years and back to back league wins.
Aside from BR 3 of these guys were slaughtered by the media and all the ignorant experts in our support at that time. Not good enough. Each became a legend.
They all benefited from a pre season and having their own players in their squads.
BW has a tough job and in my opinion real Celtic fans should support him.
Is real ignoring his obvious mistakes
Who is bw
Real fans??? Really- as long as we agree with your hugely lopsided view of everything we can consider ourselves real fans????
Beyond arrogant sir….
Judgement: I think that’s the concern a fair few folk have expressed in the past 48 hours.
In all of the circumstances, has Brother Wilfried shown good judgment?
Burnley78
The difference between WN and the previous managers that you mentioned is that they had a lot of experience as managers. I like WN and obviously I want him to succeed as the board will double down on their decision to pick him no matter how bad results are.
PETERLATCHFORDSBELLY on 8TH DECEMBER 2025 9:35 PM
Football industry is full of wide boys.
Talking of which ; The longer Brendan’s silence continues the longer the reason behind his resignation feels wrong. Getting binned off for comments like Hondas seems a step too far for DD ; I suspect we’d have to look elsewhere , money , DD and Brendan’s favourite subject would be my favourite.
HH
Good morning CQN
Hope all on here are well.
Brother Walfried?
Time will tell, plain and simple.
As it always does.
He has my full support, for no other reason than he is the Celtic Manager.
As for his methods (based on highly visible but limited evidence)
Suggestive of nothing to me.
You want things to be the same? Go for the same.
You want things to be different. Go for different.
Whether his style of different is successful?
Hete it comes again – time will tell.
Guy won a bauble in Canada (FIFA ranking 27) then a couple in the USA (14).
He might do something in Scotland (36)
Burnley78 on 8th December 2025 4:59 pm
An T
Very fair comment.
Perhaps I would add a but ……
But you should try.
Your venture into abuse of other Celtic fans yesterday may be fitting in the middle class ubends of a 3rd year St Aloysuis class room.
It was class and rank
A sweep of others guttered in the raw sewage of nothing else but your own snobbery b78…and you are not very good at it.
HH
Crass and rank
God rest Dixie Dean’s rip 🙏
HH
EKBHOY
The longer Brendan’s silence continues the longer the reason behind his resignation feels wrong.
—
The second BR speaks, he’ll be accused of destabilising Celtic and jeopardising the start of WN tenure. BR should keep quiet until the summer. He’s done well to keep quiet imo. That’s good judgement on his part.
Celtic 6 Hibs 1
https://youtu.be/TJikXlwY7hA?si=TRpi4ewzoqrwep8b
HH
This board have went all in on Paul Tisdale’s production.
We chose him over a highly successful manager. We chose him to appoint a new manager despite his very poor transfer record.
I hope it works out.
AN DÚN on 9TH DECEMBER 2025 9:43 AM
EKBHOY
The longer Brendan’s silence continues the longer the reason behind his resignation feels wrong.
—
The second BR speaks, he’ll be accused of destabilising Celtic and jeopardising the start of WN tenure. BR should keep quiet until the summer. He’s done well to keep quiet imo. That’s good judgement on his part.
….
Brendan will have been subject to a NDA , hiding everyone’s contribution to a screwed up transfer window.
HH
MOISEY17
I also meant to mention the DD BR statement. I think it makes clear that BR was given a package in return for a DNA but a package significant enough for the DNA to be one way.
—-
If that’s the case, we’ll see it in the interims. I would be surprised if BR agreed to a one way NDA.
AN DÚN on 9TH DECEMBER 2025 9:46 AM
This board have went all in on Paul Tisdale’s production.
We chose him over a highly successful manager. We chose him to appoint a new manager despite his very poor transfer record.
I hope it works out.
….
Brendan must have done something very naughty stuff we are all blissfully unaware of , as prior to the Monday when he woke up and decided to have a meeting with the Board ( really !) , he was singing like a canary.
Wellneverknowfollowthemoneycfc
I’ve not got a problem with 343…..I have got a problem playing Tounekti and Yang in WB rolls
It’ll be interesting to see how he adapts without the players for his system
My other main concern is losing goals in that system which unfortunately makes our defence look poor after being our strongest part of the team and probably the reason we were joint top before Sunday
Good read back this morning…
My feeling is Brendan Rodgers has been very smart to keep schtum, as has the rest of the folk who recently left.
As has been stated – there are obvious and clear inaccuracies in Dermot Desmond’s bulletin on the night that Brendan Rodgers left – so it is not as if the statement is infallible.
Moisey17 @ 7:22 am,
“There is something of the night about the board/exec ATM or perhaps it’s always been there it I don’t trust them and inch. Their PR is underhand and believe they brief against our coaches, players and fans. The recent AGM was an embarrassment from both sides but one side are an emotional support and the other are supposedly high calibre, experienced and highly paid executives – which ones would you expect more from and which ones would be happiest with the outcome”
For me it’s always been there – at least since Brian Quinn left and more so, since Lord Reid left – make of, what you will with these Chairman, yet the fact remains their high profile reputations mean they could never be part of the skullduggery.
Of course, despite what I’m always accused of, I’ve given them the benefit of the huge doubt, even when Mark Lawwell was appointed – many tore into him, saying he did not have the knowledge or experience to do the job.
For me, given his name, giving him that opportunity so young without the confidence of him knocking it out the park would have been foolish in the extreme, so I kept my counsel.
Also, his father Peter, a lot of folk accuse me of having a thing against him – yet it was obvious that he was a highly skilled financial controller and retrenchment manager.
It was the defacto Director of Football role and lack of Operational ability that was my concerns.
However any suspicions on the machiavellian manoeuvres of our Boardroom was something I just didn’t want to believe – I was definately at the denial stage when it raised it’s head after Rangers died.
Yet more and more, I could not deny what was hidden in plain sight – the Alison McConnell character assinations when BR&Co left for Leicester was a red flag, how could she have been briefed other than from within Celtic Park? Yet, there was no smoking gun.
That was then, this is now – the air is thick with gun smoke.
It’s a sad state of affairs but it’s now beyond all doubt the Board have been operating in a clandestine manner.
Hail Hail
There’s a world of difference between well intentioned criticism/opinion and wanting him to fail in order to further an agenda.