Wilfried Nancy, the recently installed manager of Celtic, is imploring his players to believe in their talents. They’re preparing for an important next batch of fixtures, including a League Cup final against St Mirren on 14 December. The Frenchman, 48, has taken on the task of head coach. He succeeds Martin O’Neill, who managed to guide the team to four straight league wins and a solid top-10 finish. Nancy’s first match in charge will be against Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts this Sunday, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
While Nancy knows the talent that’s in his roster, he tells The Athletic how crucial it is that his players have confidence in themselves. He stated, “Quality team, quality players, but they have to believe a little bit more in themselves.” This newfound confidence will be key for Celtic as they enter the gauntlet of a December schedule. Aberdeen will open the European month with an away tie at Dundee United on December 1, followed by hosting AS Roma on December 11.
Nancy is watching him and his new team with a sharp eye. He fully understands the significance of evaluating these players as athletes, but more importantly, as people. His approach seeks to understand the current state of the team and figure out what’s best for them looking ahead. “I’m going to have to assess the team. I know them as a team because I’ve watched many games. Now it’s about knowing them as a person. After that we’ll see what is the best for the team,” Nancy remarked.
Beyond his day-to-day concern with upcoming fixtures, Nancy touched on the January transfer window. He stressed the need to establish an actual “profile.” He loves men who can play a lot of positions and positional flex is a huge deal on his roster. “I want players who can play in different positions, ideally in two positions minimum,” he noted.
Celtic’s upcoming fixtures are pivotal not only for their current standing but for Nancy’s aspirations to secure silverware early in his tenure. The League Cup final against St Mirren represents a key opportunity for the French manager to claim his first trophy.
Nancy’s tactical philosophy leans into proactive play, encouraging his team to high press and attack the ball as soon as it arrives. He commented, “It’s not a secret I want to play in a certain way. Proactivity, try to put pressure on the opposition… and after that also be disgusting to play against when we defend.”
Nancy’s first real test against Hearts isn’t far off. He wants to win and take Celtic back to the top of the table. The next eight fixtures will certainly be one of the toughest tests yet for Nancy and his players.
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