Joe Hart delivered a passionate post-match address on live TV following Celtic’s 3-0 defeat to Roma, urging those around Wilfried Nancy to step up and help the new manager fully grasp what it means to be part of Celtic.
The former Parkhead keeper, who knows the pressures and expectations of the job first-hand, spoke directly from pitchside after making his way down from the gantry, where he had been working as a co-commentator.
Hart stressed that Nancy shouldn’t be blamed for not fully understanding the scale of what he’s walked into, but insisted it’s now up to the people around him to get that message across loud and clear.
“It’s not about what’s in his head. It is about what is in his ear, of people letting him know what it is, because it’s not his fault that he doesn’t understand,” Hart said live on TNT.
“I don’t know about you boys [Petrov and Mjällby], I didn’t walk in and just understand what it was to be Celtic. I need the people around me, I need to have conversations with the likes of you [Petrov], and I called you and said, Stan, and you went, go, go, go.
“Why, Stan, why? Because it’s an amazing team to play for. And do you want to know why you’re going to love it? Because they expect you to win.
“I know that’s what’s in you, and I know that’s what makes you tick. I don’t just like playing football, I like winning the football. And that’s why, if you look at my career, there’s a few places, yes, I did drift.
“But when we had titles on the line and when we were pushing, that’s what ignited me, and that’s what needs to ignite Wilfrid Nancy. That’s what needs. He needs the people in the board, whoever’s appointed him, they need to be in his ear, not just tell him about tactics, tell him how important Sunday is.”
Hart’s impassioned call comes ahead of Sunday’s League Cup Final, a match that now carries massive weight.
Cup finals are always big occasions for Celtic fans, but this one carries even more weight for a manager who is still in search of his first win since taking over.
It’s not the time to turn on the manager, or near time, but some wins and good performances would be a massive boost for him just now.
Celtic are under pressure to deliver silverware, and Nancy, two games into his tenure, must now prove he understands the demands that come with the job.
