Kris Boyd Questions Timing of Wilfried Nancy’s Appointment After Celtic Defeat
Rangers legend Kris Boyd has raised doubts about whether Celtic chose the right moment to appoint Wilfried Nancy, following the club’s 2–1 home loss to league leaders Hearts in the French coach’s first match in charge.
Nancy was confirmed as Celtic’s new permanent manager earlier in the week, replacing Brendan Rodgers and bringing an end to Martin O’Neill’s interim spell. O’Neill had overseen an impressive run of seven wins from eight matches, helping stabilise a squad that had struggled for consistency earlier in the season.
Boyd believes Celtic may have disrupted that momentum by making the change now rather than allowing O’Neill to continue.
Speaking on Sky Sports, the former Scotland and Rangers striker said:
“No disrespect to the teams that Celtic were playing a few weeks ago, but why didn’t they finalise Nancy’s appointment earlier? Martin O’Neill was winning games, and whoever came in next was always going to face huge pressure. Today showed that. This was a massive game for a first match.”
With a Europa League clash against Roma up next, followed by a League Cup final against St Mirren, Boyd warned that Celtic could soon find themselves under even more scrutiny if results do not improve quickly.
He also suggested that tension behind the scenes might be affecting the usual “new manager bounce.”
“I’m not sure there’s a feel-good factor right now,” Boyd added. “There’s a lot going on with the board and the fans. Winning under Martin O’Neill meant nobody talked about those issues. If you start losing games again, everything gets highlighted.”
Concerns Over Tactics and Player Roles
Boyd also questioned how quickly the players are adapting to Nancy’s preferred 3-4-3 formation.
He noted that several Celtic players who had flourished under O’Neill suddenly looked unsettled, including Luke McCowan—who had been in strong form—and Hyunjun Yang, who shifted from the wing into a deeper role.
“You just felt Martin O’Neill got the best out of an underperforming team,” Boyd said. “Now players are moving everywhere trying to adjust. It’s a huge week for Nancy, because the pressure could build fast.”
Hearts Pull Ahead as Title Race Tightens
Hearts’ win puts them three points clear at the top of the Premiership table, with both Glasgow sides now needing to respond to maintain title hopes.
Boyd believes Hearts will feel they have a real chance this season if Celtic continue to struggle and Rangers remain inconsistent.
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