It has been a disastrous start for the Parkhead boss but the Record Sport columnist fears things will get even worse
Santa might be a little worried if he’s been booked for Celtic Park tomorrow. But Father Christmas should be fine – he might end up the only one not to get booed by the home crowd.
A couple of seasons ago poor Santa copped it when Celtic were going through a ropy period of form. Those days look like a Christmas party compared to where the club is now.
I genuinely can’t quite believe I’m saying it after just four matches in charge, but if Wilfried Nancy makes it five-in-a-row against Aberdeen his position will be untenable. That sounds slightly ridiculous and it gives me no pleasure in saying it.
People outside Scotland can’t get their heads around it but this is the reality in Glasgow. Celtic managers have to win games – simple as that. It’s been a disastrous start for the Frenchman and the problem has already got to a stage where you have to wonder how long it can go on.
How much damage could it do to the season if action is not taken? People talk about getting his own signings in, but has Nancy shown enough that he can be trusted with the January transfer window? Will he even last until the window opens?
We know he has his own style and formation, so do you let him attempt to buy in the players that suit – only for it to keep going wrong and then whoever is next is left with a team that is built to play one way?
These are all things that have to be taken into consideration by the Celtic board. Then again, can they be trusted to make the right calls when they keep making poor ones?
I’ve got a lot of sympathy for Nancy. He was on a hiding to nothing coming in with a backdrop of unrest and then following club legend Martin O’Neill, who had managed to paper over the cracks.
To land during a brutally tough run of fixtures was always going to be a huge challenge with the squad he has at his disposal. It’s proved to be disastrous.
Listen, I’ve said it repeatedly. This is the chickens coming home to roost for Celtic and they are now paying the price for the woeful transfer window in the summer.
This is a bang average squad lacking in quality and missing some very important players. You only have to look at the striker problems for starters.
No harm to Johnny Kenny, as he’s a young lad who wasn’t expected to be in this position at this stage of his Celtic career, but he wouldn’t be leading the line for most of the other top six sides in the Scottish Premiership.
And what does that say about Shin Yamada? You can maybe forgive him for being a little rusty due to a lack of game time, but the opportunities he missed at Tannadice only suggested he’s not going to cut it.
Kelechi Iheanacho has been a top player, but it’s hardly a surprise that he’s not been able to stay fit given his lack of game time in the last year or so.
There’s no point going back over old ground with the wide players but we know they are not contributing anywhere near enough in terms of goals and assists.
Even so, Celtic missed enough chances to be out of sight in the first half against Dundee United, but didn’t have the quality or composure to finish it.
The second half was shocking. And there’s already a pattern here, with Hearts tweaking things at half-time and seeing it out last week, St Mirren doing the same and now United.
Nancy hasn’t helped himself though – with his tactics or his comments. Changing so much so soon was either bold or stupid and he either misjudged the squad he was inheriting or the level of opposition.
Even the other night, playing one recognised centre back against a Dundee United team who are strong at set pieces was bizarre – with Liam Scales, the best defender at the club, on the bench.
Saying Celtic played well the other night won’t cut it, neither will talking about knowing the Scottish game because he nearly signed for Carlisle, or getting involved with social media. All of this is just adding pressure to an already combustible situation.
A lot of supporters have already made up their minds. There were chants for Martin O’Neill at Tannadice and also against Nancy.
It’s not something that sits comfortable with me. It’s also something I’ve not heard before at Celtic, although I’m told Gordon Strachan was on the end of it a few years ago – and then he went on to win the league.
Will Nancy do the same? I wouldn’t bet on it. In fact, the smart money right now would be on Celtic finishing THIRD. It’s the manager who is in the firing line but if he doesn’t survive then how can Paul Tisdale?
The head of football operations was at the heart of the recruitment mess in the summer and he’s the one who apparently thought it would be a good idea to parachute a manager with a distinct way of playing into a team that doesn’t have the players to accommodate it at the most crucial time of the season.
There’s no way he can remain if Nancy is sent packing. There’s already been one departure with Peter Lawwell standing down as chairman.
It’s a sad exit for a man who has done a lot for Celtic over a long period of time, with talk about abuse and his family being involved being beyond the pale. People have a right to complain and protest – but not to go over the line.
It might be best for him to leave it behind but the pressure will remain on those who are left, and on the man in the dugout. If Nancy can’t get up and running against Aberdeen, even Santa won’t be able to save him.
