Wilfried Nancy faces Celtic deal collapse hours before signing contract as manager after revelation of Brendan Rodger’s possible Scottish return
- Reason Wilfried Nancy could face ‘pressure’ as Brendan Rodgers’ successor at Celtic
Celtic are set to appoint Columbus Crew boss Wilfried Nancy as Brendan Rodgers’ successor and Charlie Mulgrew has been delving into what the Hoops can expect
Wilfried Nancy has already demonstrated his winning credentials by claiming trophies at every club he’s managed during his coaching journey.
However, Charlie Mulgrew has cautioned that the relentless expectations at Celtic will surpass anything the Canadian has previously encountered
Parkhead officials identified Nancy as their primary candidate following Brendan Rodgers ‘ sudden mid-season exit.
Both CF Montreal and Columbus Crew have witnessed the 48-year-old’s capabilities when given control of the team.
Yet the daily pressures of maintaining Celtic’s dominance in Scottish football creates an entirely different atmosphere, reports the Daily Record.
The former Scotland centre-back believes it will prove a revelation and far more intense than the relaxed approach Nancy has grown accustomed to in North America.
“He is now coming to a pressured environment, where he will never have witnessed that intensity. I can guarantee that.
“You never know what that is going to be like until you are actually in the job.
“It is something that he will have to learn how to handle because everyone in Scotland knows the demands that come with being the Celtic manager
The former Scotland centre-back does think Nancy might prove ideal for his former club given his attacking philosophy mirrors Celtic’s traditions.
The Hoops are working to complete an agreement for the Columbus Crew manager and his coaching staff. Mulgrew has examined closely what the Scottish champions will be acquiring with their new manager and believes there’s considerable reason for optimism.
The former defender commented: “I didn’t know anything about him when he was linked at first. I then went away and did a bit of homework on him.
“He looks to be a good manager. He talks very well and is big on how he likes to treat and manage people, which is very important in the modern day.
“The formation that he seems to prefer is a 3-4-3 and he likes his teams to attack and score goals
“It’s important to play good, exciting, front-foot football at Celtic. It looks to be a very attacking style and at times his teams have been caught on the counter-attack. Celtic fans will want attacking football because that is the Celtic way.
“Hopefully he brings a brand of football that is different, exciting and forward-thinking.
“I want to see his team play forward passes with the ball that gets the fans off their seats.
“Whether he would stick with that formation and style or changes that, time will tell. It is something different and it is exciting times
Mulgrew believes there might be parallels to Celtic’s appointment of Ange Postecoglou. The 39 year old said: “He has done well in his managerial career so far.
“Yes, it hasn’t been at the level of Celtic but he will have wanted to make the step up eventually.
“Here’s hoping he can be as successful here. It is exciting and an appointment that should bring excitement to the club and the fans.
“I want to see what he brings to the Scottish game. It will be something completely different
“It looks like it could be similar to when Postecoglou came over. He was unknown and look at the success he had at Celtic.”
Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney have both stepped forward to bridge the gap following Rodgers’ unexpected exit.
Mulgrew reckons the duo deserve massive praise for how they’ve stepped up and provided the club with some vital steadiness.
They’re expected to oversee the squad once more, or at minimum the preparations, for this weekend’s encounter with St Mirren, which also serves as a warm-up for next month’s Premier Sports Cup Final.
The ex-Kelty Hearts manager said: “If Martin O’Neill had taken the team to the end of the season, then I don’t think that there would have been too many complaints.
“He has done brilliantly. He has managed the ship very well. Something had to be done on a more permanent arrangement.
“Even if they had said to Martin to remain until the end of the season, it would have given us some form of stability.
“But my preference was always a long-term solution
