That Wilfried Nancy will be the next manager at Celtic has been, perhaps, the worst-kept secret in Scottish football for weeks now.
Negotiations had been ongoing since before the most recent international break, but, reportedly, visa issues delayed the Frenchman’s arrival in Glasgow.
The Full Scottish
Served by Brian P. Dunleavy
Now, with those matters resolved, the real challenge begins for the erstwhile Columbus Crew and CF Montreal coach, who has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal.
With “sack the board” chants still ringing around Celtic Park on Wednesday, as the Hoops hosted Dundee, and bans extended for the Green Brigade, the disconnect between the club hierarchy and its supporters is, well, pronounced.
Nancy will need to navigate all of that and retool a squad in desperate need of refreshing, particularly if it hopes to compete in Europe.
That interim bench boss Martin O’Neill righted the ship in the aftermath of Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation says as much about the state of Scottish football as it does about O’Neill’s managerial acumen and the players at his disposal.
When he took the reins, Celtic sat eight points behind leaders Hearts. As of this writing, following Wednesday’s action, the Hoops and Jambos are tied at the top of the table (with the Edinburgh side ahead on goal difference)—and Celtic still have a match at hand.
Is ex-Columbus Crew boss Nancy up to the task at Celtic?
So, Nancy, at minimum, will need to maintain things on a domestic front and seek to grow on a European one.
From a purely footballing perspective, the Frenchman is most definitely up to the task. His history in MLS suggests he can recruit quality players and get said players to play attractive football.
Respectfully, though, where Nancy will encounter a steep learning curve is away from the pitch and training ground. Glasgow isn’t Columbus: There are multiple media outlets covering Celtic and Rangers, and not everyone can cope with the fishbowl.
In Columbus, the Crew are covered by one newspaper and are largely an afterthought compared with Ohio State University sports.
And, as well supported at Columbus and CF Montreal are, neither can boast the same intense relationship between the club and the terraces as exists in the East End of Glasgow (and beyond).
If Nancy is up to the challenge, he’ll almost certainly do well. If he isn’t, however, those “sack the board” chants will only get louder.