Wilfried Nancy believes Celtic could still have won the league under him despite his chaotic spell in Glasgow ending after little more than a month in charge.
The former Celtic manager spoke this week only days after Martin O’Neill guided the club to a league and Scottish Cup double following his return to the dugout.
O’Neill stabilised the side quickly after replacing Nancy in January and carried Celtic to the league and Scottish Cup double. The only trophy the club failed to win was the League Cup, after Nancy lost the final against St Mirren during his short spell in charge.
When he arrived in December, Celtic were second only on goal difference and carried momentum from a strong domestic run. By the time he left after the home defeat to Rangers on January 3, the team had fallen behind Hearts and looked increasingly uncomfortable with the tactical changes being introduced mid-season.
The fixture list also gave him almost no room to settle. Celtic faced Hearts, Roma, Rangers and St Mirren during a brutal winter period while trying to learn a completely different style of football. Defensively the side became vulnerable quickly and confidence drained from several experienced players.
Nancy reflected on that spell while speaking in France this week.
Asked ‘So Wilfried Nancy is the Scottish champion?’
He said: (RMC’s After Foot), “I can see it that way, but I don’t know if other people can see it that way!
“For me, it wasn’t a failure. It would have been a failure, for example, if I had been fired after six months. But the idea was to put things in place.
“In terms of performance, it was interesting. We were third at the time, we were still in the running to be champions.
“So, once again: it was a great experience, but I actually would’ve liked to have had more time, because I think we would’ve done something good.
“That’s why I think we could’ve done it (won the title).”
There is probably some truth in parts of what Nancy says.
Several players later admitted the squad struggled to fully absorb his ideas without proper training time between matches. Alistair Johnston also spoke openly about communication issues during that period while injured players could not help implement the system on the pitch.
At the same time, the league table told its own story.
Celtic conceded goals too easily, dropped points rapidly and lost control of the title race within weeks. O’Neill then simplified things immediately and the same group of players recovered strongly enough to win the double.
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