A REFUND AND RETURN ON WILFRIED NANCY? IT’S NOT IMPOSSIBLE
- BY LIAM CARRIGAN
- 11 hours ago
- 4 min read
I’ll preface what I’m about to say here with a couple of things.
Firstly, 3 games do not give a sufficient amount of time, data or other measurable metrics to judge a football manager’s performance or suitability.
Secondly, I still hope that Wilfried Nancy can shake off this abysmal start to his Celtic managerial reign and get us back to the top of the league. Though if I am being honest, my belief in him is waning.
With both these things being said, it doesn’t look good at the moment. Not only is the team losing on the park, but the manager’s response in press conferences gives off the impression that he just doesn’t seem to “get it” when it comes to understanding the magnitude of the job at Celtic.
It is also true that his previous club, Columbus Crew, who did not want to lose Nancy, have not yet sourced a replacement, and it could be some time yet before they do. The next season of the MLS doesn’t start until the end of February, so they can take their time.
Could Celtic do a Deal to Return Wilfried Nancy and His Staff to the US?
If things continue as they are right now, where already some fans, not myself personally, but quite a few Celtic fans I've spoken to today, want the manager removed now before any more damage is done, Nancy could well be out of a job at Celtic before his replacement at Columbus Crew is even in the door.
So, when someone jokingly commented on one of my previous posts asking “Have Celtic kept the receipt for the new manager and his staff?” I actually sat down and thought about it.
Could Celtic simply speak to Columbus Crew and say “Look this isn’t working out, do you want your old manager back?”
The answer is yes, they could, but it’s unlikely for two main reasons, I believe.
The first is financial. Celtic would probably be able to arrange some kind of fee with Columbus Crew if they allowed Nancy to return there. However, it would be significantly lower than what they paid earlier this month to bring him to Celtic Park.
Perhaps more pertinently though, is the reputational damage such a move would do to those who brought Wilfried Nancy and his backroom team to Celtic in the first place, namely Paul Tisdale and the Celtic Board.
Now some would argue that these individuals have very little reputation and goodwill left to lose, in the eyes of many Celtic fans, and I’d be inclined to, for the most part, agree with them.
But when have we ever seen the Celtic Board publicly admit that they made a mistake?
It’s always someone else’s fault. In the past few weeks alone, they’ve tried blaming the former manager, the players, The Green Brigade, and even fan media outlets like ACSOM.
I doubt anyone in the Celtic Board Room will be willing to suddenly ditch this habitual obstinance now and say: “Ok, we got it wrong, we’re sorry.”
I know and you know it’s not going to happen. However, another thing about the Celtic Board is that they are, almost always, reactive rather than proactive. We already saw limited fan demonstrations outside the stadium last night. This will only escalate if something isn’t done soon to get fans and the club back on the same page (if indeed we ever were on the same page to begin with).
It remains to be seen if Wilfried Nancy is indeed out of his depth at Celtic or not. But make no mistake, as we saw with Brendan Rodgers, our board, and in particular our largest individual shareholder (not our owner) Dermot Desmond, will not hesitate to throw other, innocent parties under the bus if they feel threatened.
Afterall dismissing managers soon after appointing them is unusual but hardly unprecedented in football.
Brian Clough is perhaps the best-known example of a managerial move that fell apart almost as soon as it started. The 44 days he lasted at Leeds United is the stuff of legend.
On a side note, if you haven’t seen the film based on Clough’s time at Leeds: “The Damned United” get it watched. It’s an absolute acting masterclass from Michael Sheen as Clough and Ireland’s own Colm Meaney as his nemesis Don Revie. Indeed, Clough may also have gone sooner, but for the Leeds United Board not wanting to lose face by admitting they picked the wrong man.
Although interestingly enough, even if Wilfried Nancy left Celtic tomorrow, it still wouldn’t be the shortest managerial spell in British football history. Not by a long, long way.
That honor goes to Torquay United’s Leroy Rosenior. He was appointed manager at Plainmoor in May 2007, only to be sacked 10 minutes later!
A protracted takeover of the club finally went through while Rosenior was giving his opening press conference, and it turns out the new owners had someone else lined up!
As I said at the start, I want Wilfried Nancy to turn this around, and to succeed. But the longer this goes on, and things only seem to get worse on and off the park, the more I start to believe he will become just the latest in a series of sacrificial lambs, offered at the altar of Dermot Desmond and his despotic grip on our club.
