It’s not the ideal start for Wilfried Nancy at Celtic.
Back in October, Celtic were in a mess after Brendan Rodgers’ quite abrupt and brutal exit. If Nancy had taken charge at that time, then things might have been different.
However, he came in after Martin O’Neill’s interim spell in charge, and now Celtic have lost his opening two matches – and both on home soil.
Celtic’s 3-0 defeat to Roma in the Europa League on Thursday night was deserved, and the man in the dugout shared his thoughts on it all.
What needs to change after that defeat?
Callum McGregor looks dejected after Celtic vs Roma
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
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Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP via Getty ImagesWilfried Nancy reacts to Celtic’s defeat to AS Roma in the Europa League
Speaking to TNT Sports, Nancy did admit that his team were beaten by the ‘better’ side, but there were positives to take from his perspective.
There will be some supporters who will start to worry about this whole situation, especially given how well Celtic did under O’Neill, and how all of that has now changed.
But Celtic’s new boss is ‘not concerned’ because he ‘really liked the reaction’ from the players to going 3-0 down by half-time.
“The reality is that we weren’t able to cope with the intensity,” said Nancy. “They tried to do well, but the first half was difficult.
“We weren’t able to come out under pressure. We had a few moments where we unbalanced, but we didn’t keep the time edge that we had, so we were on the battle all the time. As soon as we had the time to play forward, we didn’t take the good decisions, but it wasn’t easy for my players.
“I really liked the second half. A good reaction. A little bit more proximity between players to keep the pressure. After that, I don’t like to talk about luck, but the first goal that we conceded didn’t help us. On a corner, again. This time an own goal, so to come from behind wasn’t easy.
“Listen, the attitude was good. The second half was better. It wasn’t enough; they were better than us. I can’t tell you that they didn’t try. They tried.
“I am not concerned because I really liked the reaction, and for me, this is the most important. They deserve to, at least, score one goal to see after that if the dynamic can change.”
What have you made of Wilfried Nancy’s post-match comments against Roma?
Nancy after Roma: “Listen, the attitude was good. The second half was better. It wasn’t enough; they were better than us. I can’t tell you that they didn’t try. They tried.”
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Nancy’s message to the Celtic fans
It’s no rest for the wicked because Celtic face St Mirren in the League Cup final on Sunday at Hampden, and this is Nancy’s chance to change the mood.
For the Roma match, and this happened against Hearts, fans walked out early, and Nancy was asked about that during his TNT interview.
“The idea is to rest, and to prepare for the final,” added Nancy. “It wasn’t easy to prepare for the game, knowing that we play many games. The belief of my players is really strong, and this is the most important for me.
“I respect the fans. The fans are really important to us. They are key. They know that. We play for them, so this is clear.
“Now, they aren’t happy with the situation. They show this. I know where we are going. At the moment, in terms of results, this isn’t what we want. But I can see a lot of good things.”
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