Celtic and Wilfried Nancy are in a very difficult situation.
Following Martin O’Neill’s positive interim spell in charge, it has started to go wrong very quickly for Celtic’s new boss, and the patience of the supporters is being tested.
You do seriously worry what the reaction will be like if Celtic fail to win their next two matches – Dundee United away on Wednesday night and Aberdeen at home over the weekend.
Chris Sutton has reacted to the negative noise around Nancy following Celtic’s League Cup final defeat to St Mirren, including the name of Dean Smith being thrown into the managerial ring.
Does Wilfried Nancy have the belief of the Celtic players?
Chris Sutton reacts to the suggestion of Dean Smith as Celtic’s next manager
Even before Nancy could walk through the doors at Celtic, some were questioning the fact that he had come in from the MLS.
Smith is currently coaching in MLS, for Charlotte FC, after being the manager of Aston Villa for several years, including guiding them back to the Premier League and stabilising the club.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live Sport, when Smith’s name was mentioned as a possible Nancy replacement, whilst Sutton admires the English coach, he made it clear that it is something Celtic should look at ‘further down the line’ because there is already a man in place.
Robbie Savage: “Dean Smith, as Celtic’s manager, Chris?”
Sutton: “A manager I like a lot. I met Dean Smith on a number of occasions. He managed Norwich City briefly, but he didn’t have a great time.”
Savage: “Would you like Dean Smith to manage Celtic?”
Sutton: “Further down the line, yeah. But they have a manager in place at this moment in time. If he eventually goes, then I think Dean Smith is a brilliant manager for Aston Villa. He got Villa up, didn’t he?!”
Is this the end for Wilfried Nancy?
Smith’s managerial journey
Smith has mainly coached in the English football league, before getting a shot at coaching his boyhood club, Aston Villa, amid his positive impact at then-Championship side Brentford.
The 54-year-old had brief stints at Leicester City and Norwich City, joining the clubs towards the latter end of their relegation seasons and trying to help them survive in the Premier League.
But now Smith has taken his managerial journey to the States.
- Walsall: 2011-15
- Brentford: 2015-18
- Aston Villa: 2018-21
- Norwich City: 2021-22
- Leicester City: 2023
- Charlotte FC: 2023-present
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