Wilfried Nancy told his ego is 'getting in the way' by overlooking Celtic's blueprint to success as job deemed 'easy'
The struggling Hoops boss still retains full backing of the Celtic board after enduring worst-ever start to his Parkhead tenure
Former Celtic director Willie Haughey claims to have heard “stories” about Wilfried Nancy informing his players that they will playing a new position to adapt to his favoured 3-4-3 system.
The Frenchman is just a few weeks into his tenure after swapping Columbus Crew in the MLS for the Scottish champions, but he has already racked up four straight defeats to Hearts, AS Roma, St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup final and Dundee United.
Fringe players such as Luke McCowan and Yang Hyun-jun have been asked to undertake unfamiliar new roles in Nancy’s side and Haughey believes he has made vital error by immediately disregarding Celtic’s key to success over the past decade.
He told the Let Me Be Frank podcast: “The guy seems clever, right? So see if you’re clever. You do your homework on the club. And you work out, in the last 25 years, we have won 24 trophies by playing 4-3-3.
“We have recruited players to fit a system when you play 4-3-3. So you don’t go in, in the first game and go, ‘I’m going to 3-5-2, whether I’ve got the personnel or not’.
“And if the stories are true about bringing players in and saying, ‘Right, I want you to think like a right back now, because you’re going to be a right back’ and you’re looking going, ‘What?’
“What happens there is your ego’s getting in the way and what you’re doing is you’re playing God.”
Pressure on Wilfried Nancy is justified claims ex Spurs boss
Meanwhile, former Aston Villa and Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood reckons that the pressure mounting on Nancy’s shoulders is justified because he is failing at an “easy” job, that is “only about beating Rangers” to the league title.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Sherwood said: “It’s Celtic Football Club. It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world. I always look at the Celtic job and think it’s one of the easiest jobs because you only have to beat Rangers.
“I know Hearts are poking their noses into the situation, but it’s one of those jobs where you are in a high-pressure situation but you have all the tools, and the best players.
“You have to win the league and if you do you can stay for a very long time or jump to the Premier League and try your luck. For me, it’s one of the biggest, best and easiest jobs in European football.”