Next Celtic manager is 'all set' as former star could land 'promotion' under new coaching team
Celtic have been hunting their next manager and claims have been made that they’ve clinched their man.
Celtic are believed to have secured their next manager - and the timeline for his start date has been unveiled.
Since Brendan Rodgers’ resignation last month, the champions have been under the interim management of club hero Martin O’Neill and player-pathway manager Shaun Maloney. The interim boss and ex-midfielder guided Celtic to a crucial 1-0 Premiership win at St Mirren that cut Hearts’ lead at the top of the table to four points, following their loss at Aberdeen by the same score.
PLZ claim Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy is all but a done deal and will be in situ for December 1st. That rules him out of games against Feyenoord in the Europa League and Hibs in the league this week, but he could be back for games versus Dundee and Hearts. Maloney could also see himself elevated from his current role into the first team coaching sanctum.
Who will be next manager of Celtic?
It’s claimed: “Wilfried Nancy is all set for a December start as the new manager of Celtic. I understand the 48-year-old French manager, currently in charge of MLS side Columbus Crew, is set to take over the Scottish Premiership champions on December 1st, if not before, depending on the completion of contracts for four members of his backroom staff who are expected to join him in Glasgow over the next seven days.
“That means Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney will continue in their interim roles for the matches against Feyenoord in the Europa League and Hibernian at Easter Road in the Scottish Premiership. O’Neill and Maloney have stepped into the short-term role and managed to steady the ship after the chaotic end to Brendan Rodgers’ second stint in charge, which concluded with a 3–1 defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle at the end of October.
“It is still unclear whether Maloney will return to his development role within the club or whether a possible promotion could follow his efforts. It is still to be revealed what the terms of Nancy’s contract will be, but his first match in charge looks set to be the home game against Dundee on December 3rd, before a showdown with Hearts four days later in Glasgow.”
Martin O’Neill on Celtic win vs St Mirren
Speaking after the win in Paisley sealed by a second half stoppage time screamer by captain Callum McGregor, O’Neill said: “It’s a fantastic goal and it probably didn’t belong in the game tonight but, even so, it was a brilliant goal from a really brilliant player.
“I thought we could do much, much better in the game and I didn’t think we created a great deal in the course of the match. We got better in the second-half, but even so, St Mirren wouldn’t give us an inch and it was a tough game. But we’ve won a match that was heading for a draw.
“I thought we were pedestrian in the first-half and didn’t really create things. Then we kept losing possession so cheaply at times, so all those things you can definitely improve on. The win certainly keeps the momentum going and this is the most important thing.”