The dust had barely settled on Wilfried Nancy’s first match in charge when Kieran Tierney delivered the kind of measured reflection Celtic supporters badly needed.
Instead, he offered context, clarity and calm at a moment when reaction across Scottish football swung sharply toward criticism.
For the defender, there was no sense of panic about the switch to a 3-4-2-1 shape or the teething issues that emerged in the second half.
Tierney was adamant that the performance had shown enough promise, particularly in the opening 45 minutes, to believe that Nancy’s philosophy will take hold with time and repetition.
The real challenge, he suggested, isn’t the formation itself, but the inevitable adjustment period that comes when a new manager arrives mid-season.
Tierney also pushed back gently against the narrative that Celtic’s players looked uncomfortable or confused.
In his view, the early positivity should not be ignored, nor should the difficulty of implementing nuanced positional changes after only a handful of training sessions.
What mattered most, he argued, was how Celtic build on the foundations of the first half and learn from the key moments that cost them the game.
Ultimately, the Scotland international’s message was one of patience and perspective.
He stressed that Celtic are not far away from executing Nancy’s ideas properly, and that the understanding will grow as the manager has more time with the squad. It is a reminder that systemic change rarely beds in overnight, especially in a season already shaped by transition and turbulence.
He said: (TCW), “It’s only been a couple of days, so the manager’s just got a few messages across. It’ll be impossible to get every single detail across in a few days.
“I think the second half, you saw that a little bit. There were some moments of uncertainty, or boys even trying too hard to be in the right position.
“It’s just something that’s going to come with time. I don’t think we’re far away from it, because I think in the first half, there were so many positives. We’ll watch it back, and then we’ll watch the second half to see where we went wrong again, how we conceded the goals, and how we can get more chances and score goals.
“I like it (the new manager’s system and vision) a lot, because I like building up in the three, and I’ve played centre-back before as well – the left centre-back role with Celtic, Arsenal and Scotland. So, it’s a position I’m used to. His ideas are good about creating overloads and finding the free man.
“In football, a lot of the things are similar. People get too caught up in formations. A lot of things are similar. It’s finding the free man, turning attacking football.”
Tierney’s comments cut through a lot of the noise surrounding Celtic right now.
While some pundits are calling the team confused, he sees it as the natural growing pains of a new system that has only just been introduced. His focus on the positives from the first half matches Nancy’s view: Celtic looked sharp, aggressive and creative, but failed to finish their chances when it mattered.
His backing of Nancy’s ideas, especially the movement, positioning and overloads the manager wants, will calm supporters worried about talk of dressing-room frustration.
Tierney is comfortable in the left-sided centre-back role and clearly understands what Nancy is trying to achieve. His confidence that the squad will adapt isn’t blind belief, but the opinion of someone who has been through this before.
What he makes clear is that Celtic don’t have time to linger over this defeat.
With Roma coming to Glasgow and a cup final on the horizon, the players must take in Nancy’s ideas quickly while still finding a way to win. It’s a tough balance, but Tierney’s attitude suggests the squad are ready to meet that challenge.
If Celtic start to improve in the weeks ahead, these early remarks may prove to be the moment the players showed they were fully behind the manager.
Tierney’s outlook offers something important in a difficult period: a sense that progress is close, and that the dressing room is committed to moving forward together.
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One Response
Systems obviously have their place…but at the end of the day its what the players do with the ball…and yesterday there were so many poor decisions made …so many bad passes and a lack of shooting that the Manager is exempt from criticism…Except for his tactics board…Bin that please.