Ex-Celtic defender Erik Sviatchenko has shared an insight into Wilfried Nancy’s ‘his way or nothing’ approach.
The Danish international now has almost 100 MLS appearances to his name, and came up against the Frenchman’s Columbus Crew on several occasions.
Nancy faced doubts over his suitability for Celtic after seeing success in a completely different environment in Columbus. Ultimately, those doubts were vindicated.
Sviatchenko has reflected on the catastrophic 33-day tenure, which saw Celtic lose six of their eight games, including a cup final and two title six-pointers.
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Erik Sviatchenko reflects on Wilfried Nancy’s ‘quick fling’ at Celtic
Sviatchenko told Celts Are Here: “I was surprised that it only lasted 33 days. It was a really short period. That’s insane. It was a quick fling in that sense.
“Of course, the quality he brought at Columbus Crew in MLS was very high. I played against them and the level they were playing at was very good. So it wasn’t a case of someone coming in without pedigree.
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“He’s a character who wants to do things his way. He came in and changed the formation quickly and played players out of position in a short space of time.
“During the season, when you need to win games, that can be difficult. It’s easy to look back and say he should have made smaller changes and waited until preseason to fully implement his ideas.
“But sometimes you trust what has worked for you before. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
“I spoke to a former teammate who worked with him at Columbus. He said he was a great coach, but also very set in his way of doing things.
“It was more like his way or nothing. When you’re in a period where results are needed and you’re trying to make big changes, it can be difficult.
“As a player, you need clarity. Are we trying to win now or are we building something? There were results that shouldn’t have happened and that has continued at times.
“It can feel like something is weighing on the players.”
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Wilfried Nancy’s short Celtic spell
Nancy’s start to life at Celtic was daunting on paper – and in the end, the worst-case scenario was exactly what played out.
After Martin O’Neill’s run of wins in his interim spell, Nancy lost 2-1 to Hearts, 3-0 to Roma and 3-1 to St Mirren in his first week.
This was bruising enough, and after a 1-0 defeat to Dundee United, fans were already calling for him to be sacked.
Wins over Aberdeen and Livingston weathered the storm and showed better signs on the pitch – but in a crucial week of games against Motherwell and Rangers, two more defeats sealed Nancy’s fate.
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