Deluded Nancy returns to the circuit to pile more pressure on Michael Nicholson

Wilfried Nancy has been bleating in the Canadian media about how unlucky he was at Celtic.

He was anything but. Nancy was the luckiest man ever to get the job of managing Celtic. He left as the worst ever.

Only John Barnes and Tony Mowbray were pleased by that appointment. Now there is absolutely no doubt over who has been the worst ever Celtic manager.

Every couple of months it is reported that Nancy is in the running for a decent job in France or Belgium. After a quick background check that doesn’t involve Paul Tisdale the club body swerves Nancy and appoints someone else.

Michael Nicholson is the only CEO in European football to fall for the charm of the former Columbus Crew head coach.

According to Nicholson Nancy was completely aligned with the plans of the Celtic board.

This month the Celtic Board will celebrate the resignation of Brendan Rodgers. In eight months Rodgers will be back in Glasgow to share some home truths.

Now Nancy is starting to put himself back in the spotlight as he looks for another gullible club to offer a job. Perhaps his gardening leave is for one year only. With Nicholson calling the shots Nancy might have gardening leave guaranteed through until January 2029.

WILFRIED NANCY- MASTER OF EXCUSES AND DEFLECTION

La Presse reports Nancy saying:

I knew the challenge was going to be difficult. Looking back, I think I made a mistake with the timing. I should have waited, and maybe gone in January.

When in January would have been better? Before or after the Glasgow Derby on January 3? Going in at the start of December allowed Nancy to properly assess the squad and square his exciting recruitment plans for January with Nicholson.

The period I was there was one of the most intense periods in the club’s history. They had a lot of injuries; there were a lot of matches.

No it wasn’t. It was just another December, every December is very similar. Nancy made December 2025 very difficult. Ridiculously so.

To be honest with you, I’m still happy with how it turned out. Despite, of course, the fact that I got fired.

So are we Wilo. You fully exposed the judgment of Nicholson. Any doubts remaining after appointing Mark Lawwell and Paul Tisdale have been answered. Mute Mike is clueless.

When I arrived, well, I’m not Martin O’Neill. I have different methods. However, I didn’t want to change them much.

Yeah, sure Wil. Two days before a top of the table clash you introduced a one man defence, forcing Auston Trusty on the right and Kieran Tierney on the left to race forward at every turn. Kasper Schmeichel had Liam Scales in front of him and no-one else.

Everything was going well in terms of the game. But as soon as we conceded a goal, we started to get nervous.

Because the players hadn’t prepared properly in the new formation. Also they had no faith in you, your tactics or track record. Or the decision making of Nicholson.

There were some players who were resistant because they were comfortable [with O’Neill].

O’Neill managed them for eight matches, he changed very little. He knew his job, what to do and what he couldn’t do.

I wouldn’t have had the same narrative if things hadn’t gone well in terms of performance.

That is the nature of football. That is why guys like Russell Martin and Nancy get quickly sussed out and sacked.

I don’t like ‘ifs’ or ‘shoulds,’ but the reality is that we lost games with 4.2 and 3.8 xG. We should have won more games. That’s why it’s still a little hard to accept, because it would have been totally different.

No football match has ever been decided on xG.

But at the same time, it was an experience to be had. It was great.

No doubt it was very rewarding financially but any hopes of a job in a top European league are over. A return to North American soccer is the obvious move when the gardening leave ends.