Wilfried Nancy has insisted that Celtic’s recent struggles are not rooted in his tactical setup, despite overseeing three defeats in his opening games and persisting with a system that represents a clear break from what players have been accustomed to in recent seasons.
Since Nancy’s appointment, Celtic have appeared caught between habits formed over multiple seasons and the demands of a new structure that asks different things of almost every position on the pitch.
The wing-backs have struggled to find balance, the midfield has often looked disconnected, and the attacking unit has lacked cohesion. While results have been poor, Nancy’s message has been consistent: he believes the foundations of his system are sound, even if execution has fallen short.
That stance has inevitably divided opinion among supporters. Some see a manager sticking to his principles under pressure, while others view it as an unwillingness to adapt to the realities of the squad he has inherited.
Celtic’s defeats to Hearts, Roma and St Mirren have all followed a similar pattern, moments of promise undermined by lapses in control, poor ball retention and uncertainty when pressed, issues many fans believe are linked to a system the players are still struggling to interpret.
Nancy, however, has repeatedly pushed back on that narrative. Rather than blaming structure, he has pointed to specific phases of games where Celtic have played well within his framework.
His belief is that the problem lies not in shape, but in composure, connection and decision-making, particularly under pressure. It is a view that places responsibility firmly on execution rather than design, even as scrutiny around his tactical choices continues to grow.
He said: (TCW), “No, not at all. Because to be honest with you, we had really good performance in the first half against Hearts, the second half against Roma, and the first half today.
“So I don’t think that this is… Again, I’m questioning everything in terms of my job. Here, in the past, and so on, this is our job to all the time, try to find solutions.
“But I don’t see it like that. The structure that we had was very interesting. We were able to go wide, we were able to go through the middle, and we were able to attack the box.
“But after that, me, this is taking care of the ball. And this is the only way for us to maximise our chance to do better.”
Nancy’s comments show a manager keen to separate the system from the results. In his mind, the shape has allowed Celtic to play some good football, even if those spells have been short-lived and too easy to disrupt over the course of a full match.
He believes the real problems come after those moments, when the team struggles to keep possession, loses composure and fails to trust each other in tight areas.
That view will make sense to some, but it does little to ease concerns about how quickly this group can adjust. Celtic’s squad was built around a familiar 4-3-3, using natural wingers, overlapping full-backs and a settled midfield three.
Moving to a back three with wing-backs and two players supporting a lone striker is a major shift in shape, roles and decision-making. Expecting that change to click smoothly, especially in a packed schedule, was always a big ask.
Flexibility is also part of the debate. Nancy has spoken about questioning everything, yet his determination to stick with the current system has not gone unnoticed.
Critics argue that tweaking the setup to suit the players, even for a short period, could help steady performances and restore belief. Few supporters are calling for his ideas to be scrapped entirely, but many want to see a more practical approach alongside his long-term vision.
Looking ahead, the pressure will not ease any time soon. Dundee United away in the Premiership presents another tough test, followed by fixtures that will shape both the domestic campaign and Celtic’s European hopes.
Nancy’s stance is clear. He believes the structure is right, the ideas are strong and progress will come through better execution rather than changing course. Whether Celtic’s players can close that gap quickly enough is the key question of his early spell in charge.
At a club where patience is limited and results are demanded fast, the time to prove that belief right is running out.
