Celtic Part Ways with Nancy After Disappointing Run; Challenges Remain, Says Sutton

Celtic has relieved Wilfried Nancy of his managerial duties after a brief and unsuccessful tenure, the club announced on Monday. The Frenchman, who took over in November, won only two of his eight matches in charge, culminating in a disappointing defeat to Old Firm rivals Rangers. This shift comes as Celtic trails league leaders Hearts by six points.

The decision to part ways with Nancy was deemed inevitable by former Celtic striker Chris Sutton, who, however, pointed out that the club's problems extend beyond the managerial position.

Nancy, who had signed a two-and-a-half-year contract, was dismissed after a series of poor performances, including a humiliating loss to Motherwell and a heavy defeat to Roma in the Europa League. His final game in charge saw Celtic lose 3-1 to Rangers, further cementing the need for change.

"The decision to remove Nancy was the right call," Sutton said. "He was too rigid in his approach, insisting on a specific style of play that didn't suit the team. Celtic needs adaptability, and Nancy simply wasn't providing that."

Nancy's coaching staff, including Kwame Ampadu, Jules Gueguen, and Maxime Chalier, have also departed the club. In their place, Celtic has reappointed Martin O'Neill on an interim basis until the end of the season.

O'Neill, who previously led Celtic to success before stepping down in 2005 and then returning in October 2024, will be assisted by Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham. The trio will take charge of the team's next fixture against Dundee United.

Sutton believes that O'Neill's return is a sensible short-term solution, given his familiarity with the club and his previous success. However, he emphasized that the team's struggles predate Nancy's appointment and that significant changes are needed to address the underlying issues.

"The players also share the blame for the team's poor form," Sutton noted. "There were problems at the start of the season, and Brendan Rodgers had called for better-quality signings. That didn't happen, and now the squad needs strengthening urgently."

Celtic faces a challenging run of fixtures in the coming weeks, including matches against Hearts, Bologna in the Europa League, and Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership. With the team facing pressure to turn around their fortunes, the focus will be on whether O'Neill can provide the stability needed to compete for the title.