Celtic’s next manager isn’t walking into a calm setup. There’s reported movement in the boardroom, key recruitment staff are heading out and supporters are already fed up with another summer transfer window that dragged on far too long.
Wilfried Nancy is high on the shortlist, so the obvious question is whether he could handle the chaos. Orri Benatar from NBC, who’s covered Columbus Crew for years, told CeltsAreHere Nancy’s more suited to it than people realise.
Nancy’s had to hang in during some wild periods in Columbus. Big players were sold, replacements took ages to land and important figures behind the scenes moved on without warning. Even with all that, he kept the team competitive and pushed them deep in major competitions.
Benatar said: “Unfortunately, the transfer philosophy for the Crew over the last few years has sort of been that we need to patch things up, because the Crew has turned into developing superstar players who go and get bigger deals for bigger teams.
“Last season you have Cucho Hernández, who is an unreal player, in my opinion. Not biased, he should have won the MVP over Lionel Messi because he was better than him in that season and played more than Lionel did.
“But Cucho Hernández goes to Real Betis in February, they lose their backup striker Cristian Ramírez to the LA Galaxy, and they weren’t able to patch it up until April with Daniel Gazdag, and then they didn’t get (Wessam) Abu Ali until July.
“He’d be able to handle it because the reality is, since Nancy’s been here, he’s dealt with a lot of change. When he became the manager in 2023, mid-season, the Crew lost their best player in Lucas Zelarayán. Following season in 2024, they lost Aidan Morris in midfield. So he’s been able to adapt and get the club in good shape from a player-personnel standpoint.
“You mentioned boardroom stuff. The Crew lost their general manager Tim Bezbatchenko only a year ago to Bournemouth, to the ownership group of Bournemouth. So I think the fact that he’s used to change means that he can adapt to it well.
“Even if there’s stuff going on behind the scenes, he’s got a great head on his shoulders, I can tell you that. And he’d be able to help out in finding new personnel to not just keep the club stable, but improve it as well.”
Nancy’s spell in Columbus shows he doesn’t fall apart when everything around him is shifting. Players left, signings dragged on and major staff moved out, but he still kept the Crew competitive and pushed them deep into big competitions. That kind of steady hand is something Celtic could do with right now.
Celtic need a manager who won’t lose focus when plans change or when deals take longer than they should. Nancy has already shown he can stay calm in that sort of environment and still get strong performances from his team. That makes him a realistic fit for what the club are dealing with behind the scenes.
The job also needs someone who can handle the demands on the pitch while managing the noise off it. Nancy’s track record suggests he’d take that in his stride. He’s dealt with tough situations before and kept moving his team forward.
If Celtic go for him, the size of the task wouldn’t scare him. The pressure is constant and the club is going through a lot of change, but Nancy’s history shows he knows how to work through that and still build a side with a clear way of playing.
