Celtic fan group demand Wilfried Nancy sacking after 'pathetic' Old Firm collapse but maintain the blame lies elsewhere
Celtic Collective released a statement demanding change following the Rangers defeat.
Celtic Collective have released a statement demanding the immediate dismissal of Wilfried Nancy, as well as several board members after their Old Firm defeat.
After a strong first half, the Hoops opened the scoring on Saturday through Yang-Hyun jun, however the visitors were able to turn it around through a Youssef Chermiti brace and late Mikey Moore strike. The result means Celtic are now level on points with their Glaswegian rivals and six behind league leaders Hearts.
Having won just two of his first eight matches, Nancy is already treading on thin ice less than a month into his Parkhead tenure. After the match, there were further protests at Celtic Park, as supporters gathered outside the ground to express their frustrations with the players, manager and various board members.
Hoops fan group, Celtic Collective, have made their feelings clear about the board throughout the season, having organised several fan marches as well as establishing the ‘not another penny’ campaign. In their latest statement, they have called for the dismissal of Nancy, but still stress that the board is ultimately to blame for the current state of the club.
Nancy ‘not equipped’ for Hoops top job
The statement read: “today’s pathetic collapse in the derby match is a culmination of the complacency, arrogance and incompetence of the Celtic board. Wilfried Nancy is not equipped to be Celtic manager and should be removed from his position.
“However, those responsible for hiring him, degrading the playing squad and attacking supporters must shoulder the blame for the mess we are in on the park, and the massive disconnect between the fans and club off it.
“It is also impossible to separate the board’s arrogance from the man who empowers it. Dermot Desmond remains largely absent, yet retains the decisive power, and his narrow mindedness and lack of ambition for Celtic, coupled with a seeming disdain for its supporters, has helped lead us to this point.”
Nancy sacking ‘only part of the solution’
While the fan group demand the manager’s dismissal, they also believe that various board members aren’t fit for purpose. The statement continued: “removing the manager is only part of the solution. Systemic change is required if the club is to be united and successful.
“It has been proven beyond any doubt that Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay are unfit for their roles as CEO and CFO respectively. The support must work to force these people from their positions and fight to ensure that any custodians of our club are made accountable to ordinary fans. We will reach out to our constituent members in the coming days to escalate our campaign. SACK THE BOARD.”
As the January transfer window commences, the Celtic board will be forced to make a decision quickly on Nancy’s future whether to back him or sack him. Odds have already resurfaced amongst bookmakers, who believe Martin O’Neill’s interim assistant, Shaun Maloney is favourite to take over if Nancy goes.