Chris Sutton believes that Wilfried Nancy is down SEVEN players.
So far it has been two defeats out of two for the new manager, taking over from Martin O’Neill barely a week ago
The interim manager dug out six wins out of seven which was double edged. It did breathe fresh hope into Celtic’s season but also added to expectations on Nancy.
NANCY AND HIS INHERITANCE
Being 3-0 down at half time in a home European match is a horrific look. Against Roma the players were booed off the park.
It wasn’t just the players that were the target for anger, there are a multitude of issues around Celtic at the moment.
The transfer window saw the team weakened in a number of areas running alongside failure to qualify in the Champions League.
Brendan Rodgers resigned at the end of October, just as a spate of injuries restricted his options.
As Celtic beat Sturm Graz Alistair Johnston, Carter Vickers and Kelechi Iheanacho picked up long term injuries.
Nancy walked into all of that, reflecting on the hand that they new manager has been dealt, Sutton told Daily Record readers:
This is not making excuses for anyone, but you look at who was missing for a start. Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alastair Johnston, Jota and Marcelo Saracchi would all likely start if they were fit. In fact, Johnston and Saracchi would be far better equipped to play in the wing back roles than Yang and Sebastian Tounekti.
They don’t look cut out for it and I also wasn’t sure about Reo Hatate playing in a deeper role against Roma either, given he can give the ball away at times and he had been so effective just off the front in recent weeks.
All of these issues are even before you look at what was lost in January though. Kyogo, Nicholas Kuhn and probably even Adam Idah would all have been involved against the Italians.
That’s about seven players from the starting XI – and they’d still be up against it.
Nancy discussed the job, carried out his due diligence and signed up to deliver success. He trusts the recruitment set up led by Paul Tisdale.
HAMPDEN D-DAY
He will be aware of Rodgers resigning and the stinging criticism that appeared on the club website from Dermot Desmond.
His tenure is genuinely on a game to game basis. Starting at Hampden on Sunday against St Mirren.
The Paisley side have already shown themselves to be tough opponents. Teams selected by Rodgers and O’Neill struggled to break St Mirren down.
Regardless of that there are no excuses for Celtic and Nancy at Hampden.
Whatever circumstances are involved there is a non-negotiable for Nancy and his team. Just win.
Lack of quality in the first team, as best players were sold for top dollar and Celtics SOP of replacements ratio being maximum of 20% of transfer price received, and lack of depth and quality of replacements for first team and of the first team squad, as bemoaned about by Brendan Rodgers, is the obvious representation of the chronic managed decline as carried out by PL and MN.
The blatant underinvestment smacks of a business on a downward spiral and on its uppers as management scrambles round for available capital ( no better example than Sevco of this impoverished position!) So how on Earth does this lack of available capital resources square with a business with over £70,000,000.00 cash sitting in the bank? Incompetence ? Lack of ambition? Lack of Knowledge? Lack of imagination? Ignorance? Complacency?
Celtic is Grace Brothers. Jeez, MN is chauffeured into his office every day. It’s 2025 not 1925……
Chauffeured?
Is that for real?
We’ve all said for years that the Parasites where happy keeping us just better than the new club but in all honesty it now looks like they want to achieve the opposite as mad as that sounds.
They are slowly killing our club if we keep on the road we’re on we could spiral even worse than we currently are.
Two tuff apponentsin his frst two but its been poor Celtic performances since bayern Rodgers should have went at end of season he must take some resposiblility transfer disasator thats pasts we are have new mananager different tactics players unsure but have to get on with it thars there kobb to many players feeling sorry for them self ur injuries not only top man but the men that stand up and be counted we have a cup final next no excuse we will no how ST Mirren play no suprises there will there manager fly out the traps attack a wounded animal no way if the do Celtic will have game won and there confidence which has been trashed alongside there coach by Scottish media shameful maybe our fans have had it to easy in seeeping all before them domisticlay for years have had it togood not cause they are good check Europe results we have to change Spfl aint that good on CV but Europe is and spfl in a gate way into itthe Celtic board hsve to set there sight on europe and spend accordingly the new format for Europe we play in compition up tilland past january thats where our goa is to go intothose games wit chsce otwatching game through open fingers thats what ee demand now and if the board dont see and and try and delivery cayse the fans are bired with watchng therev team breaking down park the bus defences watching oposition teams spoiling tactic time waisting fans want more than this we need to change and hopefuly this new manager will be the start get the fans back to what we go to games for support your team not world polotics yes get rid of the anurcay that sneaking into Celtic park for our medai go there for Celtic nobody else let them find there own place no squtters at Celtic park
Editor: Once you discover punctuation turn your attention to sacking the CEO, Chairman and board of directors that have turned managed decline into full on decline. NOT ANOHER PENNY.
Once again had to give up reading this, a monkey with a keyboard would produce a more coherent post
You are unenlightened. Not everybody is like you!
Sadly got to agree with you there Tam57,I give up trying to read jack’s posts, sorry jack but it’s hard work mate.
Hard work don’t bother some, Jim!
The issues at Parkhead lie solely on the board. Yes, Celtic are down 7 x 1st team pool players, but St.Martin showed what a versatile, not donkey like stubborn manager, can bring to even the most depleted squad and let’s face it, Hearts were shite against Celtic and only an inability to score goals cost Celtic, coupled with a defence positioned as they were in a school playground ! (Evan Ferguson said he thought some players didn’t know what they were doing against Roma. )
The Lost Bhoys ! Nancy isn’t near Martin O’Neill level of manager. Ref: his record to date as a coach, a role he said he never planned on but more fell into !!! This is the incompetence of our board.
It’s only Scotland he’s being asked to manage in, 37th best league in the world ffs. He may be a fine manager one day, but at what expense.
Before anyone says it. This is not entitlement, it is about spending your money wisely and getting the best quality for it.
That’s the key point. Martin was able to get a song out of them despite not having a fully fit squad to pick from.
Jesus Christ. Was that comment written by an illiterate hun? I gave up trying to read it after two lines.
Your comment (above) is obnoxious on at least two levels. If this site was editored by me, you would never be allowed to post the likes of that!
Yes, and Sutton will never be a football manager. What we have to do is work with what we have got!
What we have got is a team who know how to win football games. Nancy should take a long lie tomorrow and then go for a long Sunday walk. Stay away or stay in the background!
Let the team organise themselves for this one under McGregor and Tierney! They know what to do and how to win this game. Let them do it and let them get on with it!
It’s looking grim for Nancy Boy tonight tragically for us !