Benjamin Nygren knows the players must take their share of the blame for the previous manager’s dismissal
Wilfried Nancy embraces Benjamin Nygren(Image: SNS Group)
Benjamin Nygren insists Wilfried Nancy left Celtic with the squad’s best wishes after a botched 33-day reign in charge.
Nancy was handed his jotters at the start of the week after Rangers sent him spiralling to a sixth defeat in eight games in charge.
Nancy’s revolution proved ill-fated as the Frenchman’s bold decision to rip up Martin O’Neill’s winning formula in favour of a radical change of system spectacularly backfired. But Nygren says the Celtic squad must shoulder their share of the blame and made it clear there was no bad blood with the ex-Columbus Crew boss as his short tenure was terminated.
He said: “Yeah, that’s unfortunately how it is in football. Things can move quickly.
“We didn’t do well enough, didn’t have the results we wanted and didn’t perform good enough, so that’s something that can happen in football. But we still have huge respect for the previous manager, but now our focus is moving ahead and to start winning games again.”
O’Neill’s third stint at Parkhead could breathe fresh life into Celtic’s fading title bid – and resurrect their dreams of five-in-a-row.
Nygren admits the wily old fox and his backroom staff of Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham have immediately lifted the mood off the floor amidst a turbulent period.
The champions face Dundee United today in the first of 18 cup finals as they attempt to reel in league leaders Hearts and second-placed Rangers.
The Swede said: “Yeah, for the first time we had some days between the games, so we’ve been training hard for the next game.
“I think it’s been a very good training week, good intensity and quality in training and getting back to the stuff that we did before. So I think it’s been very good.
Celtic’s Benjamin Nygren celebrates scoring to make it 1-0(Image: )
“It helps that we’ve had him before and we know what Martin and Shaun want from us.
“I think it’s been going pretty fast to settle into what we did before. It’s been good in training.”
Celtic legions are pinning their hopes on O’Neill salvaging the season after leading the fallen champions to seven wins from eight in his first interim spell.
Nygren hopes for more of the same between now and when the trophies are handed out in May as Celts compete across the Premiership, Scottish Cup and Europa League.
The 24-year-old said: “He came here and we had a bit of a difficult period before that as well.
“When he came we won every game except one I think. So we had very good results under him last time and we have to continue in this way.”
Social media exploded into life on Thursday when it emerged that Celts had lodged a loan bid to lure Kyogo back to Parkhead. But the former fans’ favourite looks poised to stay put at St Andrew’s as he fights for his place at Birmingham following a goalless run of form.
Nygren took over the Japan star’s number eight jersey last summer and said: “I just know that he’s been here before and that he’s been doing great things for the club. That’s what I know.”