Charlie Mulgrew has leapt to the defence of new Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy after the sight of a small magnetic tactics board on the touchline became an unexpected talking point following Sunday’s defeat to Hearts.
Nancy’s first match in charge was always going to draw intense scrutiny, but few could have predicted the tactics board would generate so much debate.
Mulgrew was quick to shut down the overreaction, arguing that the criticism is misplaced and entirely dependent on the result of the game rather than the merits of the method.
He pointed out that visual aids are common in modern coaching, and that if Celtic had won, supporters and pundits might instead be praising Nancy’s clarity and hands-on approach. To Mulgrew, the rush to mock the board was simply another example of how quickly things can be distorted in the Glasgow football environment.
The broader point he raised is one Celtic supporters know well: managerial tools and quirks often become punchlines after a defeat but strokes of genius once results improve.
Mulgrew referenced how previous Celtic bosses faced similar eyebrow-raising reactions early on, only for their approaches to be reinterpreted as inspired once trophies arrived. From Ange Postecoglou’s initial interviews to Brendan Rodgers’ ever-present notepad, Mulgrew argued that context and timing shape perception more than the actions themselves.
With Nancy arriving in the midst of a tight title race and inheriting a squad adjusting to significant injuries, the scrutiny was always going to be fierce.
Mulgrew’s message was ultimately a call for calm and perspective, and a reminder that a tactics board is just a coaching tool, not a symbol of confusion or weakness.
He said: (Go Radio Football Show), “I think that if he goes on to be a good manager for Celtic — and time will tell — then people will be saying it was a masterstroke that he uses a tactics board and that it’s brilliant he does that.
“It’s just typical: if it doesn’t go well for you, people begin to drag things like that up.
I’m sure there were things past managers did when they first came in, like Ange Postecoglou — I can’t put my finger on it, but I’m sure there were things he said that later, when he became such a good manager, people called genius.
“I’m sure Brendan Rodgers’ notepad got mentioned before as well. He used to pull the notepad out of his side pocket and write notes, and people would be saying, ‘What is he writing on that?’ When you’re doing well, nobody talks about the notepad.”
Mulgrew’s comments speak to something deeper about football culture in Scotland: perception is dictated almost entirely by results.
If Celtic had taken their early chances and emerged with a comfortable win, Nancy’s board would have been framed as a sign of organisation and strong communication. Instead, because Hearts executed their game plan perfectly, the same behaviour was interpreted by some as needless fuss or overcomplication.
His defence also reminds supporters how often first impressions, and early criticism, age poorly.
Postecoglou faced questions about his methods before becoming one of the most transformative managers Celtic have had in years. Rodgers’ notepad was once a curiosity but later became part of the mythology of a title-winning coach. Mulgrew believes Nancy should be afforded the same patience before any judgment is made on his style.
What will ultimately define Nancy is not whether he uses a board, a tablet, or no props at all, but whether Celtic’s performances grow sharper and more decisive under his leadership.
For now, Celtic fans may be frustrated by Sunday’s outcome, but Mulgrew’s perspective encourages a more measured reading of the situation.
Nancy has only just begun, and if results follow, the tactics board discussion will quietly disappear, perhaps even resurfacing later, exactly as Mulgrew predicts, as an example of a manager ahead of his time.
