THERE was a palpable sense of aid coursing round Celtic Park final Sunday afternoon as Wilfried Nancy lastly claimed his first victory on the fifth time of asking.
After 4 straight defeats noticed the Frenchman make the worst begin of any supervisor within the membership’s historical past, he lastly stopped the rot with a 3-1 win over Aberdeen.
He then swiftly set his sights on chasing down Hearts after their victory over Rangers maintained a six-point lead on the prime of the Premiership desk.
It will be extraordinarily naive and untimely, nevertheless, to imagine that each one is all of the sudden rosy at Celtic. Nancy just isn’t out of the woods but. Removed from it, truly.
The harm suffered over these first 4 video games was too vital to be erased purely on the premise of 1 win over a Dons facet decreased to 10 males. An Aberdeen staff who have been clearly jaded off the again of a Europa League match in Prague the earlier Thursday evening.
Beating Aberdeen has purchased Nancy time however his place shall be beneath scrutiny if Celtic falter over the Christmas interval
Nancy will get his message throughout as Celtic substitutes put together to come back on towards Aberdeen
Celtic so practically made a multitude of it, permitting the guests to come back again and equalise at 1-1, earlier than two late objectives dragged Nancy’s staff over the road.
The Parkhead facet’s efficiency was okay. Nothing greater than that. They created a good quantity of probabilities, however squandered the overwhelming majority of them.
There was a recurrence of sure themes which have gotten all too frequent beneath the brand new supervisor. Even towards ten males, there was nonetheless a frailty to Celtic, particularly the best way they have been uncovered on the counter-attack.
As was the case in earlier matches since his arrival a few weeks in the past, Nancy’s staff nonetheless appeared desperately susceptible at occasions.
For all that the previous Columbus Crew boss might be happy together with his first win, the outcome did little to dispel the notion that he’s a person who continues to be dwelling on a game-by-game foundation.
He’s now coming into a run of three video games over the festive interval that would nicely resolve whether or not or not he has a long-term future at Celtic.
It begins with a visit to Livingston on Saturday. For all that David Martindale’s facet are backside of the league, it’s a venue that has prompted the champions loads of issues over time.
For a boss who’s in search of to introduce a brand new enjoying fashion and formation, the tight confines of Livi’s stadium and plastic pitch might simply develop into a graveyard.
Celtic then face one other away recreation subsequent Tuesday, towards a Motherwell staff who’ve been an absolute revelation this season beneath Jens Berthel Askou.
Motherwell will pose a stiff check to Celtic when Nancy takes his staff to Fir Park on December 30
On their day, the Steelmen are an excellent watch and play essentially the most engaging soccer within the league. Flying excessive in third place, they might trigger Celtic all method of issues.
Then comes the litmus check for Wilfried Nancy’s Celtic simply after New Yr once they face Danny Rohl’s Rangers at Parkhead.
Rohl had his first style of the Outdated Agency derby in final month’s League Cup semi-finals. He had solely been within the door simply over every week at that time when caretaker Martin O’Neill’s males received 3-1 in additional time.
This shall be Nancy’s first crack on the fixture. It isn’t tough to envisage a situation the place a few sticky outcomes over these subsequent three video games might ship him proper again to sq. one.
Given the amount of probabilities that Celtic are lacking beneath his stewardship, you do marvel what distinction a high quality, confirmed goalscorer would possibly make to them.
Nancy addressed this in his media convention yesterday, stressing that Daizen Maeda ought to be retained in any respect prices within the January window.
Nonetheless, Maeda alone just isn’t sufficient. Final season now appears to be like like an anomaly, when he scored 33 objectives in all competitions and was named Participant of the Yr.
Celtic boss Wilfried Nancy is eager to maintain maintain of star striker Daizen Maeda
The Japanese worldwide has scored seven objectives in 26 video games to this point this season. He scored a superb aim towards Dundee United final week, but additionally missed a sitter as Celtic misplaced 2-1.
He’s again to the identical erratic participant who first arrived at Parkhead in 2022. Having expressed a need to go away the membership final summer season, there are nonetheless questions on his dedication.
Nancy insisted yesterday that Maeda is completely happy and shall be a key a part of the membership’s plans transferring ahead into the second half of the season.
Give the participant’s unreliability, although, and the accidents suffered by Kelechi Iheanacho, Celtic want a brand new striker. If they will get one, Nancy would possibly simply have half an opportunity.
These subsequent three video games shall be pivotal in figuring out whether or not or not Celtic ought to truly sanction a January rebuild to swimsuit his new system.
If he have been to undergo one other couple of shaky outcomes, there could be a believable argument that the membership mustn’t throw cash at a supervisor who patently is less than the job.
There is likely to be some who really feel that’s barely harsh given he’s solely 5 minutes within the door. However that’s the fact of the state of affairs he’s been thrown into by Celtic.
He’ll naturally need time to construct one thing, however the method by which the membership botched the timing of his appointment means that he’s unlikely to be afforded a lot endurance.
Followers have been chanting for Nancy to be sacked after his fourth consecutive defeat at Tannadice
Within the defeat at Tannadice the earlier week, followers have been already calling for him to be sacked, whereas chanting O’Neill’s identify.
It was mortifying. All of the extra so when Nancy then spoke afterwards and claimed he knew every thing about Scottish soccer … as a result of he virtually signed for Carlisle as soon as upon a time as a participant.
The win over Aberdeen was solely a momentary lifting of the gloom. A short interlude on this brutal baptism of fireside he’s experiencing in Glasgow. There may be nonetheless an extended street forward if the 48-year-old is to show this round and show that he can lower it as a Celtic supervisor.
The Frenchman spoke on Tuesday about how he isn’t accustomed to enjoying soccer over the festive interval. It’s all new to him. If issues don’t go nicely over these subsequent three video games, it received’t simply be turkey on the menu. Nancy’s goose might nicely be cooked.
