Four things to look out for in Wilfried Nancy’s first Celtic press conference

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The Wilfried Nancy era is officially underway at Celtic.

Martin O’Neill’s farewell was an emotional one on Wednesday, as he bowed out with a 1-0 home win over Dundee.

Less than an hour before kick-off at Celtic Park, the club confirmed Nancy’s appointment on a two-and-a-half year deal, with his first training session on Thursday.

He will give his first sit-down interview with Celtic TV’s Gerry McCulloch, but more fascinating will be his first press conference, where we are bound to find some things out about the new boss.

So what should Celtic fans look out for? 67 Hail Hail has you covered.

What Celtic fans should look for in Wilfried Nancy’s first Celtic press conference as manager

The formation question

Perhaps the most crucial immediate topic that Nancy will address will be whether or not he will instantly implement his preferred 3-4-3 formation.

There is obvious precedent for this down south, where Ruben Amorim did exactly this at Manchester United, and the transition was… rough.

There’s no doubt that his system resulted in some stellar football in the US, but whether the current Hoops squad can immediately thrive in a new formation is a bigger question.

Backroom staff

Three members of Nancy’s Columbus backroom staff have already been confirmed to be following him to Glasgow.

However, first-team coach Yoann Damet will not be, leaving an obvious gap in his backroom team.

It has been reported that Nancy’s coaching team will include a coach familiar with Celtic and Scottish football – whether this is an internal or external appointment is yet to be confirmed.

A daunting start

Nancy’s first three games are not for the faint of heart – you certainly can’t question his bravery.

Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash with Hearts will be crucial for the Frenchman to get up and running. After that, it’s a glamour Europa League tie with Roma, before the small matter of a Premier Sports Cup final.

READ MORE: Rod Stewart reacts to Martin O’Neill’s Celtic departure and shares hunch about extended stay

How do you go about getting your feet under the desk with such an immediately defining start? Nancy’s words on this topic will be interesting.

…and an even more daunting backdrop

You also don’t envy Nancy for arriving with a backdrop of an intense dispute between club and fans.

A wave of Celtic fan protests has dominated conversation this season, culminating in a chaotic AGM which had to be called off early.

If Nancy can unify the support in a similar way to O’Neill, it will be one less thing for the Hoops fans to worry about – the way he handles it in the media will be telling.