Wilfried Nancy left reeling by ‘complex situation’ at Celtic after ‘big disaster’
Wilfried Nancy will continue to come under scrutiny at Celtic despite claiming his first win in charge against Aberdeen.
That is according to ex-Aberdeen, Aston Villa, and Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who does not believe it was a convincing win for the Frenchman.
Celtic needed two late goals to beat Aberdeen 3-1, after the visitors nearly condemned Nancy to a fifth straight match without victory.
Nancy still needs to win over the Celtic support, with the 48-year-old undertaking his first job in Europe after a successful spell in the MLS.
Wilfried Nancy ‘not going to get the backing of the fans’
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 – believes the pressure would have intensified further on Nancy if Celtic hadn’t of beaten Aberdeen.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness thinks Nancy has “tried to change things too quickly” at the club.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “It was against 10 men and it was also 1-1 until I think the last 10 minutes, and he had an injury time third.
“If it had been 1-1 against 10 men, I don’t think he’d have had much breathing space. So you’ve got to put that into context. I think everybody is wanting him to succeed, but we’ll see.
“I mean, losing that cup final was just a big disaster for them in terms of his, you know, he’s coming in there and trying to follow Martin [O’Neill]. It’s a complex situation.
“He’s not going to get the backing of the fans at the moment because the fans are dead set against the board and the owners. Peter Lawwell, you know, was there, and we’ll see what happens with the fan base.
“But Nancy, look, he’s got to, he’s tried to change things too quickly, and he doesn’t understand the Glasgow situation.”
Nancy faces big test as title race intensifies
Former Celtic boss Martin O’Neill called the win “enormous” for Nancy, when he gave his reaction to the Aberdeen game.
The three points ensure the Hoops remain six points behind Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts, having played one game less.
Nancy faces an important festive period, with his first Glasgow derby clash against Rangers now just over a week away after games against Livingston and Motherwell.