McGregor speaks out on the Celtic’s lost 33 days

I think probably too much too soon in terms of change. Obviously, we go from a team that is super aggressive on the front foot for ten plus years, pretty much all the time I’ve been here.

Playing a certain way, being asked to do things a certain way, defending in a certain way, and then you bring in the nuance of the league and playing in Scotland.

My belief is that you get as much pressure on the ball as you can and try to press the game as high as you can, which actually eliminates a lot of the defending that you have to do in terms of box defending.

Celtic beat Dundee 1-0 on December 4, the following day Nancy arrived at Lennoxtown to be met by Michael Nicholson.

On December 5 he met the first team squad, starting to work on installing his 3-4-3 formation.

Between December 7 and 14 Celtic lost to Hearts, Roma and St Mirren. For many fans it was already over for Nancy. There were no consolations to take from those three matches.

Next up he led Celtic to a defeat away to Dundee United. After that it was only a matter of time before the inevitable sacking announcement.

To impose so much change virtually overnight was way too drastic. The squad was thin on confidence, they had already had two managers in the first four months of the season.

Goalscorers had been lost, there was a stand off between fans and the board. It wasn’t the time to impose change. Nancy wasn’t for listening, he wasn’t for turning.

McGregor added:

So for me, it was just a little bit too much too soon in terms of that change and quite a big change away from what the team had been.

Not to say that it can’t work, but I think everybody’s well aware of the time, no pre-season, and so many games, so many important games.

It was a tough situation to come in and have a game every three days where you’re almost learning in the game.

Obviously, we all know that trying to learn in this environment is probably the harshest environment you can have. Then, as human beings, when you take away that confidence, everybody starts to struggle.

You have to go to the pitch and have confidence and belief in yourself, and ultimately, when you lose games, that does waver.

We’re all human beings at the end of the day, so it does affect you. As I said, it is unfortunate that it didn’t work out, but I think we have to draw a line under it now.

O’NEILL’S RESCUE ACT

With O’Neill back in charge Celtic have won three domestic matches without conceding a goal, in Europe they got a credible draw away to Bologna.

Sunday at Tynecastle will bring the SPFL Premiership into focus.

A win can help make up on the ground lost during Nancy’s reign. Defeat leaves Celtic’s title defence on the ropes.

Trailing by nine points with 15 matches left to play is a tall order, especially for a team that has lost seven out of 23 games.