Wilfried Nancy faces huge pressure to deliver a result against Rangers tomorrow and has insisted he needs time to get things right at the club. Though journalist Stephen McGowan has hit back at Nancy’s comments, sparking discussion.
Five defeats in his first seven games as Celtic manager have left him short of goodwill, short of points, and short of time. Tomorrow’s visit of Rangers comes with just three points between the sides and little margin for error.
Celtic had the chance to close the gap on Hearts on Tuesday night and failed. A flat 2-0 defeat at Motherwell left familiar questions hanging in the air and sharpened the focus on Nancy’s start.
The stakes are obvious. Lose again, and the noise around the club will not die down; it will escalate.
Nancy addressed that pressure head-on at his pre-match media conference. He spoke at length, more than once returning to the idea that he needs time to properly shape the team after arriving without a full pre-season.
He said (@CelticFC):
“This is only the beginning. Usually, we have four weeks of pre season. I didn’t have pre season, I know why.
“Before I came here, I knew that if I don’t win games I’m going to be in trouble. This is part of the job.
“Give me time and you’ll see my team.”
Those comments will have certainly raised a few eyebrows. Celtic are not rebuilding in mid-table. They are in the middle of a title race and the table does not wait for anyone to settle in.
Stephen McGowan of The Herald was quick to respond, and his point cut straight through the argument.
He said: (X), “Martin O’Neill didn’t have a four-week pre-season either. He found a way.”
It is a comparison that carries weight, even if the circumstances were not identical. Martin O’Neill was appointed on an interim basis, tasked with steadying a drifting side while the club looked elsewhere. He inherited the same squad and immediately focused on results.
The football wasn’t breathtaking. That did not matter. He won seven of his eight games and kept Celtic competitive when they needed it most.
Nancy is asking for patience in a job that rarely grants it. He may believe the performances will come, and he will believe his ideas will work, but belief alone will not shift the mood.
Celtic supporters have seen slow starts before. They have also seen managers talk themselves into corners they could not escape.
Tomorrow is not about long-term visions or explanations. It is about showing something tangible on the pitch. Organisation. Intensity. A clear plan that looks like it belongs in this fixture.
Nancy does not need to win over everyone overnight. He does need to show that Celtic are moving somewhere other than backwards.
If he cannot, the talk of time will sound increasingly hollow, and the club may soon be forced into another decision they did not want to make.
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