#Letakan iklan disini
Football Dec 06, 2025

Celtic: Wilfried Nancy has massive shoes to fill after Martin O'Neill's interim spell, says Chris Sutton | 'January window will decide the title'

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
Celtic: Wilfried Nancy has massive shoes to fill after Martin O'Neill's interim spell, says Chris Sutton | 'January window will decide the title'

A new era is under way at Celtic after they named Wilfried Nancy as the club's new manager on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

The 48-year-old arrived from MLS side Columbus Crew - where he won the MLS Cup and the Leagues Cup - to become Brendan Rodgers' permanent successor, .

Nancy's first match will be against Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts on Sunday - live on Your Site - with the Frenchman taking over from interim boss Martin O'Neill, who won every league game in charge during an eventful five weeks.

That clash against Hearts is the first of three key fixtures within a week, with Celtic then hosting Roma in the Europa League next Thursday, before they take on St Mirren in the League Cup final at Hampden Park next Sunday.

It is set to be a real baptism of fire for the Frenchman, who has already met with O'Neill as the reigns were handed over. Here's what former Celtic player Chris Sutton makes of it all...

"I think he [Nancy] will have his own idea and philosophy and a way of playing," said the Your Site pundit. "However, I think he would have been foolish not to pick Martin O'Neill's brains on how he sees this current squad. I know Martin is on record as saying he thinks there needs to be additions in January, and I would certainly agree with that.

"Wilfred Nancy will be his own man, but it is right that he had that conversation with Martin O'Neill and was picking his brains.

"The pressure is on from the start. He has to hit the ground running; everybody knows that. I think Martin's shoes are massive shoes to fill.

"Celtic fans can look at Hearts and Rangers, but Celtic have got a really tricky run of fixtures coming up. There's a massive game against Hearts on Sunday, which I cannot wait for, and then Roma in the Europa League, plus the League Cup final. It is a massive 10 days for Wilfried Nancy.

"The difficulty he's going to have is taking over a team which has found a way to win games, but he will have his way of playing, his style of football, which he wants to implement. However, Celtic have got seven games until the new year in a short space of time, three games a week.

"So, it's going to be really difficult for Wilfried Nancy to get on the training ground and work and implement his ideas, which is going to be fascinating.

"He'll have his own way of playing, but would you really want to change things too much of what has worked for Martin O'Neill and his team in recent weeks? That's Wilfried Nancy's dilemma."

"I think it's everything. I think the team out of Celtic, Rangers and Hearts that has the best January in terms of bringing transfers in wins the Scottish Premiership."

"Have you been to Glasgow? He needs to win the lot! The truth is, Martin O'Neill has done so well, that expectation will have grown.

"If I was a Celtic fan before Martin O'Neill came in, and all the issues at the start of the season, I would have just taken winning the Scottish Premiership.

"Now, because of the team's improvement, I think Celtic fans will be thinking, 'why not the treble and progress in Europe?' That was the big thing this season, progress in Europe. The club haven't seen that.

"Wilfried Nancy knows what he's coming into. It's a really difficult job. It's a lovely job when things are going well, but aren't all jobs."

Tags:

football news id:13479396

Share this article

Related Posts

Kenny Jackett: Former Wolves, Millwall, Portsmouth and Swansea manager dies aged 64

Kenny Jackett: Former Wolves, Millwall, Portsmouth and Swansea manager dies aged 64

Former Wolves, Millwall and Portsmouth boss Kenny Jackett has died aged 64.The ex-Wales international - who earned 31 caps - passed away on June 11. H...

How the USA fell in love with football: World Cup 1994, the Premier League and the outspoken vision of Alan Rothenberg

How the USA fell in love with football: World Cup 1994, the Premier League and the outspoken vision of Alan Rothenberg

Alan Rothenberg had a vision: A World Cup so enticing it could convince the USA - and the world - that the country could fall in love with football.A...

World Cup 2026 fixture schedule and UK kick-off times: Day-by-day breakdown of all 104 matches including England, Scotland

World Cup 2026 fixture schedule and UK kick-off times: Day-by-day breakdown of all 104 matches including England, Scotland

Here's your day-by-day breakdown of the 48-team, 37-day World Cup which features 103 matches leading up to the final on July 19.All the kick-offs for...

World Cup 2026 news and live updates - USA, Canada and Mexico build-up plus latest on Trump, tickets and fans

World Cup 2026 news and live updates - USA, Canada and Mexico build-up plus latest on Trump, tickets and fans

Southampton confirm retained listSouthampton have confirmed eight players will leave the club when their contracts expire at the end of JuneOriol Rome...

World Cup 2026: England team is built around Harry Kane - he's the only genuine world-class player in squad, says Gary Neville

World Cup 2026: England team is built around Harry Kane - he's the only genuine world-class player in squad, says Gary Neville

Gary Neville believes the England team has been built around Harry Kane, who he considers the only genuine world-class player in the squad.Kane has en...

Edin Dzeko interview: Bosnia striker on playing at the World Cup aged 40 after helping Schalke back to the Bundesliga

Edin Dzeko interview: Bosnia striker on playing at the World Cup aged 40 after helping Schalke back to the Bundesliga

“I did not think I would be playing at 40,” admits Edin Dzeko. But here he is. Not just playing but getting ready to captain Bosnia and Herzegovina at...