There is a sense of belief that Wilfried Nancy will be a success at Celtic.
You wonder how much of that is down to Ange Postecoglou because the Celtic waters weren’t this calm around his appointment in 2021.
But perhaps, Celtic fans have seen how much of a success left-field pick Postecoglou was, so they are giving Nancy the thumbs up, and there is less panic in the air.
However, as various comparisons are being made between Postecoglou and Nancy, it’s not sitting well with James McFadden, who explained why he has an issue with it all.
How are your first impressions of Wilfried Nancy?
Ange Postecoglou and Wilfried Nancy comparison
Nancy has only had two jobs in his managerial career so far, and has solely coached in the MLS, which wasn’t the case with Postecoglou.
Speaking on Open Goal, McFadden thinks it’s ‘not fair’ that Postecoglou is being compared to Celtic’s new manager because he had ‘managed for 20 years’, and in various countries, before he took the hot seat at Parkhead.
McFadden thinks the only comparison between the two is the fact that they have come in from leagues you are unsure about.
“When people say, ‘Oh, Ange,’ and compare him to Ange,” said McFadden. “The only comparison is that he is coming from a league you aren’t sure about.
“Ange had managed for 20 years before he came in. He took Australia to the World Cup. He had won the league in Australia. He had won it in Japan. It’s not the same.
“But what Ange has done is help Nancy. Because people are more open to saying, ‘it worked with Ange, so let’s give him a chance.’ He has only managed for four years. It doesn’t mean he isn’t good.
“But the comparisons I don’t think are fair on Ange. He was an experienced manager when he came in.”
Postecoglou’s career before he joined Celtic
Not only had Postecoglou managed in various countries, but he was also sacked on several occasions, so not everything was smooth.
But from Japan to his home nation of Australia, the Greek-born coach lifted a lot of silverware. Something which he replicated with Celtic.
Postecoglou even won the Europa League with Tottenham last season, before they booted him out, so his career has been quite underrated.
- Clubs managed by Postecoglou before joining Celtic: 7
- Nations managed by Postecoglou before joining Celtic: 1
- Year started: 1994
- Trophies: 15
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