‘Martin O’Neill’s not finished yet’: Who Celtic will have their eyes on amid shock Wilfried Nancy sack news
Wilfried Nancy is already facing shock calls for the sack less than a week after he took charge of Celtic for the first time.
Celtic fans called for Nancy to be relieved of his duties following Thursday’s loss to Roma, which saw the Bhoys beaten 3-0 at Celtic Park.
A nightmare first half saw Liam Scales head in an own goal before Brighton loanee Evan Ferguson added a second and third before the break.
Celtic lost 2-1 to Hearts on Sunday in Nancy‘s first game, with Kieran Tierney‘s late consolation remaining the only goal scored under the new head coach so far.
Nancy has made a poor first impression at Celtic, and fans will already be wondering if it is too early to look elsewhere.
Could Celtic bring back Martin O’Neill in Wilfried Nancy worst-case?
Neil Warnock suggested that Nancy has suffered from Martin O’Neill’s interim tenure at Celtic, which saw the last five consecutive games won before he departed.
The Northern Irishman won seven of his eight games back at Celtic Park, which, in theory, should have left his successor with a strong platform to build off.
| Celtic’s last five games under Martin O’Neill |
| Celtic 4-0 Kilmarnock |
| St. Mirren 0-1 Celtic |
| Feyenoord 1-3 Celtic |
| Hibernian 1-2 Celtic |
| Celtic 1-0 Dundee FC |
Instead, the form has served as a dagger in Nancy’s back, with standards set with different tactics that the Frenchman must now replicate with his own.
In a worst-case scenario, Celtic will lose to St. Mirren in the Scottish Cup final on Sunday – a situation that Nancy may find it hard to emerge from.
By the time he was due to leave, many fans wanted O’Neill to stay at the club and guide the Bhoys to the end of the season.
The 73-year-old would likely be among the first names called for if Nancy does suffer the worst-case result, too, although O’Neill has been clear in his intentions to return to retirement.
Who could Celtic look to past O’Neill?
Kjetil Knutsen was among the favourites for the Celtic job in the weeks leading up to Nancy’s appointment.
The Bodo/Glimt manager is rumoured to be leaving at the end of the year, after his side just missed out on their fifth Eliteserien title under his leadership.
The Norwegian is yet to be tested outside of Norway, but led Bodo/Glimt to the Europa League semi-final last season.
Another strong contender would, of course, be Ange Postecoglou. The Australian is available following his departure from Nottingham Forest in October, and enjoyed huge success in his first stint at Celtic Park.
A different contender could be that of Robbie Keane, who spent a year on loan at Celtic as a player. The Irishman is enjoying a superb stint with Hungarian side Ferencvaros, and led his team to a 2-1 win over Rangers on Thursday.
Ultimately, Celtic will not be hasty. Work went into the decision to appoint Nancy, and decision-makers at Celtic Park will want to make sure that he is given a fair settling-in period.
But the options are there, should the situation become more dire in the coming weeks.