Wilfried Nancy has been officially announced as Celtic’s new manager – and he already has plenty on his to-do list.
The Hoops have improved in recent weeks after a poor start to the season by their own standards.
It is Hearts who led the Scottish Premier League before their recent collapse allowed the Celts to catch up. The current holders now have a game in hand over the Jambos and are on points level.
Celtic’s improvement has coincided with Martin O’Neil becoming interim boss following the shock sacking of Brendan Rodgers earlier this season. And the Irishman, 73, has won all his Premiership games to ensure Nancy starts his tenure on the right foot.
The Frenchman, 48, will start his time in Glasgow with a head-to-head clash with Hearts on Sunday, which could go a long way in deciding where the trophy ends up in May 2026.
But between now and then there’s plenty for the gaffer to sink his teeth into and get off to a running start.
Build a Celtic backroom staff
Kwame Ampadu, fitness coach Jules Gueguen and video performance coach Maxime Chalier have all been confirmed by MLS club Columbus Crew that they have followed Nancy to Parkhead.
The Frenchman has a strong working relationship with all three of his staff and made sure he brought them along. Interestingly, Ampadu is primarily the key link between Nancy and Celtic, with the Irishman previously working with head of football operations Paul Tisdale.
The question now becomes whether or not Nancy will hire a Scottish coach with Celtic connections to make the transition as smooth as possible.
It won’t be Martin O’Neill, that’s for sure. But it could conceivably be one of O’Neill’s lieutenants who worked with him during the six-week period since Rodgers left. Shaun Maloney is a strong option as assistant coach, as is Mark Fotheringham, both of whom have a lot of confidence within the squad.
Other options include Stephen McManus and possibly someone like Darren O’Dea, who is currently interim head coach at Swansea City. The Irishman has experience at Celtic having been their trajectory manager before leaving for the Swans. Should he want to continue coaching after Swansea’s new boss inevitably arrives, he could be convinced to return north of the border.
Celtic January Transfer Window
The summer window has been terrible for Celtic and Nancy will have to convince the hierarchy to part with their money in the winter window.
The fans were critical of the boardroom and that is well documented. However, the senior players have vowed to support their new manager in any way they can, suggesting new signings are coming in to compete on all fronts.
The Celts still believe they can qualify for the next round of the Europa League, but they will need to expand their squad. A new striker is crucial to their chances and Nancy has already flagged a possible move from his old club in the MLS.
It will be an ambitious move for Crew striker Wessam Abou Ali, who cost the club almost £6 million when he joined earlier this year. The Palestinian international, 26, scored 22 goals in 39 appearances last season and has also had decent spells at other clubs such as Aalborg and Silkeborg.
FootballBlog understands Celtic want two wide players – who could see Yang and Michel-Ange Balikwisha leave on loan – while midfield options would also be important.
Rebuild the bridge between Celtic fans and the boardroom
Fans and the board members are at loggerheads, as we mentioned, and their relationship is close to breaking down. You could say that it has been on the brink of collapse for some time now.
The transfer window and lack of spending to qualify for the Champions League have been a major problem, while Ultras group the Green Brigade not being allowed to play matches has also caused annoyance.
The Celtic AGM was a horror show and even icon O’Neill could not bridge the gap between the two sides.
Nancy may be able to do this as an outsider who comes to the club with fresh eyes and an open mind. He will hear both sides of the story and will certainly make sure that both are on the same page.
It’s possible the fans’ furore has hurt Celtic this season, which is as much as Rodgers previously said. So Nancy has his work cut out for him if he hopes to bring everyone together for the same goal.
Premier Sports Cup Final
It almost seems unfair to Martin O’Neill that he will not be the man in the dugout for the upcoming cup final at Hampden later this month.
The interim helped his side eliminate fierce rivals Rangers in the semi-finals in a 3-1 extra-time victory, making them a showpiece at the national stadium again.
It will be Nancy’s third game in charge of his new club on Sunday, December 14, meaning the ex-Montreal CF coach will certainly face a baptism of fire against Hearts and then Roma in the Europa League before finding success for the first time.
If the new manager can convincingly beat St Mirren on the day – hell, if he can ensure they win – he will be off to a perfect start, because ultimately managing Celtic is about winning in any way possible.
It’s about trophies. One win in just three games would take a beating.
Win the Premiership title
This is the most important thing for Celtic, their bread and butter.
The Hoops will become Scotland’s most successful club if they can lift the trophy this season, and that’s where all their focus should be at times.
Hearts gave them a scare given Celtic’s early season form, but O’Neill steadied the ship and Nancy must guide that ship to its destination and park it successfully.
If the new boss can secure the winner’s medal, it will go a long way in popularizing him with punters and gaining the full support of even fans who have been skeptical about an unknown coach taking the reins.
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