Celtic can end Nancy’s nightmare by hiring “unbeatable” 4-2-3-1 manager
Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy could not have had a worse start to his tenure in charge of the club after losing for the third match running on Sunday.
The Hoops were beaten 3-1 by St Mirren in the League Cup final at Hampden Park, which means that the French boss has lost all three of his opening games.
It is the first time in Celtic history that a new manager has lost their first three games. In fact, Nancy was also the first manager to lose his first two matches after the 3-0 loss to Roma in the Europa League.
Why Wilfried Nancy should already be under pressure
As crazy as it may seem at face value, the Hoops head coach is already under pressure at Parkhead because of his historically bad start and the way that the games have unfolded.
Losing to Scottish Premiership title rivals Hearts, at home, and as favourites in the League Cup final is tough to take. The Roma game could be excused due to the quality of the opposition, but the other two results were abject.
The drastic change in formation has also come under fire from supporters and pundits. Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin questioned why Sebastian Tounekti is at wing-back and why Daizen Maeda is playing as a number ten in his punditry for the cup final.
Nancy’s 3-4-2-1 system is a big departure from what supporters at Parkhead and what the players at the club have been used to in recent seasons.
Wilfried Nancy
3-4-2-1
Martin O’Neill
4-2-3-1
Brendan Rodgers
4-3-3
Ange Postecoglou
4-3-3
Neil Lennon
4-2-3-1
Brendan Rodgers
4-3-3
Ronny Deila
4-2-3-1
Neil Lennon
4-2-3-1
Celtic, as you can see in the table above, have traditionally been a four-at-the-back side, and that is what their squad was built to play, yet Nancy has ripped that up and endured the worst start a manager has ever had at Celtic.
Whilst it may seem incredibly reactionary, the system being implemented and the results so far suggest that Nancy is not a good fit for the Hoops, which is why they should already consider quickly ending this nightmare start by hiring Nicky Hayen.
Why Celtic should hire Nicky Hayen
The longer you watch and analyse football, the more you realise that it is less about ‘good’ and ‘bad’ managers and players and more about the fit and how well suited they are to the environment at that club.
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Nancy has come through the door at Parkhead with no experience in Europe as a manager, either domestically or in European competitions, and plays a system that does not appear to suit the squad, given Goodwin’s questions and the dismal results.
Nicky Hayen was reportedly a contender for the Celtic job last month, and Football FanCast suggested that he would have been a better option than Nancy, because he has proven himself domestically in Europe with Club Brugge, as well as in European competitions.
The Belgian boss has subsequently been sacked by Brugge, though, for losing three of his last four Pro League matches in charge of the club, in a ruthless move by their board.
That sacking should not dissuade Celtic, however, because that poor run of form does not reflect the overall job he did at the club. Hayen won three trophies in 102 matches in charge of Brugge, including one Pro League title, per Transfermarkt.
Meanwhile, Nancy won three trophies in 215 matches in the MLS and missed out on a chance to add to his silverware against St Mirren on Sunday.
Matches
4
17
Wins
2
6
Draws
1
3
Losses
1
8
Points per game
1.75
1.24
Best finish
Semi-finals
Last 16
As you can see in the table above, the former Club Brugge boss also has an eye-catching record in European competitions, given the size of the club he managed, reaching the last 16 in the Champions League and the semi-finals of the Conference League.
Whereas Nancy had not managed a single match on the European stage before his move to Parkhead, and lost 3-0 in his first Europa League outing against Roma.
Hayen, who was described as “tactically unbeatable” by one analyst on X, also prefers a 4-2-3-1 formation, per Transfermarkt, which suggests that he would be more suited to the way that Celtic’s players and supporters are used to.
Therefore, bringing the recently sacked Belgian to Parkhead to quickly end the Nancy nightmare could be a surprising yet brilliant move by the board, because he has the domestic and European experience behind him to suggest that he could be a success, whilst also playing a style that is a good fit for the club.
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Of course, it would be completely understandable if Celtic decide to back their man and give Nancy time, including a transfer window, but his dismal start to life in Glasgow may already be creating doubt over his suitability for the role.