Celtic suffered a sobering 3-0 defeat to Roma in Wilfried Nancy’s first European match in charge, but the Hoops boss insisted he is “not concerned” that his ideas are failing to get through to his players. The result followed Sunday’s loss to Hearts, making Nancy the first Celtic manager to lose his opening two games in charge.
Despite the disappointing scoreline, the Frenchman stood firm in his football philosophy after switching Celtic to a 3-4-3 system. Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Nancy said his players showed commitment even if execution was lacking.
“They tried,” he said. “We should have connected better, but I’m not concerned. I really liked the reaction. They deserved at least one goal, and that could have changed the feeling of the game.”
Nancy also played down growing supporter unease, claiming he saw positives in the performance despite the result. “Of course we want to win games, but today I saw good things,” he added. “This week has been difficult with the cup final coming up, but my belief in the players is very strong.”
However, his comments immediately raised alarm among several Celtic greats. Stiliyan Petrov admitted he was unconvinced by the manager’s assessment, suggesting fans shared the same concerns.
“I feel sorry for him,” Petrov said. “After two games, his back is already against the wall. He doesn’t have the answers yet, but he has to find them quickly with a huge game coming up.”
Former assistant Johan Mjällby warned that time is becoming a factor in the title race, while ex-goalkeeper Joe Hart urged Nancy to focus less on systems and more on preparing his players for the physical demands of Scottish football.
Nancy acknowledged the boos from the stands but asked for patience, insisting he remains confident Celtic will soon turn performances into results.
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