Celtic board lambasted for ‘disastrous’ move amid Martin O’Neill claim
Celtic’s board must continue to take full responsibility for on-field results despite Wilfried Nancy losing his first four games in charge.
That is according to ex-Aberdeen, Aston Villa, and Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes Nancy has been thrown “in the deep end” at Celtic.
Nancy’s first game was Celtic’s top of the table clash against Hearts, before AS Roma in the Europa League and St Mirren in the Scottish League Cup final.
The Frenchman then oversaw Celtic’s 2-1 defeat at Dundee United, which maintains Hearts‘ six-point lead over the Hoops at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.
‘The blame has got to lie with the board’
Aberdeen’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Pittodrie between 2000 and 2004, had lengthy spells as the chief of Everton and Aston Villa and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – is on the side of the fans, and that the Celtic board must be held more accountable for the timing of Nancy’s appointment.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness though also states that Nancy “hasn’t handled the media well” during his time in Glasgow.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “Well last week I said you only get one chance to make a first impression and Wilfred Nancy has blown it, and I could not believe that score in the cup final. I really thought of all the things that he had to do, to beat St Mirren, he’d have been able to do that.
“This has turned into a complete and utter disaster for him, it really has. And it has just shown that he hasn’t handled the media well. I think everybody’s got sympathy for him and the blame isn’t with him, and I think that’s what’s got to be clear, and I think the fans are right.
“The blame has got to lie with the board and the way they’ve handled this appointment. There was no reason not to have kept Martin O’Neill on for the Hearts game and the St Mirren game, because if they’d lost those, Martin is so loved by the Celtic fans he would have been forgiven and then a fresh start would have been there for the new manager.
“Instead they threw Wilfred Nancy in at the deep end, and we’ve seen what’s happened.“
Ligue 1 side to pursue Wilfried Nancy move
Nancy may already be on the verge of the Celtic sack after the club lost four games in a row for the first time since 1978 under Jock Stein.
French club Saint-Etienne could move for Nancy if he is sacked, and are keeping a close eye on the situation.
Saint-Etienne have previously pursued the Frenchman to no success, but he could be available soon if his current losing streak continues.