Wilfried Nancy’s links to Celtic have continued to a second week.
Over the last fortnight, the Parkhead support has got to know the 48-year-old Frenchman who manages Columbus Crew in MLS.
Since losing Brendan Rodgers three weeks ago, Celtic have been linked with Kjetil Knutsen, Kieran McKenna, Craig Bellamy and others.
But their search has seemingly led them to Nancy, an upcoming coach with a reputation for playing a unique brand of possession-based football.
For ex-Celtic vice captain Charlie Mulgrew, Nancy’s football is something to be excited about.
Charlie Mulgrew on Celtic target Wilfried Nancy’s style of football
The first interesting aspect of Nancy’s brand of football is his formation.
He has been almost exclusively wedded to a 3-4-3 in the US, so unless he changes this in Glasgow, the Hoops’ squad could be set for a rejig.
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It’s impossible to know how well his football will translate over to Celtic, but Mulgrew has some positive words for the Hoops’ support.
He told the Daily Record: “It is a completely different level at Celtic.
“It is something that he will have to learn how to handle because everyone in Scotland knows the demands that come with being the Celtic manager.
“I didn’t know anything about him when he was linked at first. I then went away and did a bit of homework on him.
“He looks to be a good manager. He talks very well and is big on how he likes to treat and manage people, which is very important in the modern day.
“The formation that he seems to prefer is a 3-4-3 and he likes his teams to attack and score goals.
“It’s important to play good, exciting, front-foot football at Celtic. It looks to be a very attacking style and at times his teams have been caught on the counter-attack. Celtic fans will want attacking football because that is the Celtic way.
“Hopefully he brings a brand of football that is different, exciting and forward-thinking.
“I want to see his team play forward passes with the ball that gets the fans off their seats.
“Whether he would stick with that formation and style or changes that, time will tell. It is something different and it is exciting times.”
Celtic’s recent experiences of playing a back three
Rodgers rarely moved to playing three centre backs in his second stint in Glasgow, but he did for the second half of the 2-1 home defeat to Braga.
The approach was also absent under Ange Postecoglou, but more often seen under Neil Lennon in his second spell.
The 2019-20 season saw Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths operate a deadly strike partnership in Lennon’s 3-5-2, a different shape to Nancy’s, which has a front three.
Some wondered if current interim boss Martin O’Neill would bring back his famous 3-5-2, but this hasn’t happened… yet.
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