In the shape of Roma, Celtic faced a level of opposition that they hadn’t yet faced this season.
It was a major test, not least because it was just a second match in charge for Wilfried Nancy – and Celtic failed royally.
The Italian giants had the Celts out of sight before half-time, and despite Arne Engels’ missed penalty, it really could have been more for Gian Piero Gasperini’s side.
Tactically and individually, Celtic were firmly second-best against a team worth hundreds of millions of pounds. On Sunday, however, that financial gap will be reversed.
And Charlie Mulgrew thinks that Celtic’s players will be relieved after enduring their ‘worst nightmare’ on Thursday.
Rate your optimism for Wilfried Nancy out of ten…
Charlie Mulgrew on Celtic vs Roma
Any atmosphere that was initially in the stadium was quickly quashed when Liam Scales headed into his own net after just five minutes.
A double from reported Celtic target Evan Ferguson put Roma firmly out of sight before the break.
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And Mulgrew, speaking on the Go Radio Football Show, thought that the game was perfectly set up for Celtic’s ‘worst nightmare’.
He said: “If Roma had to choose a team to play against on [Thursday], Gasperini’s choice would’ve been a team that play it out from the back, and play short passes, and don’t play any passes in behind.
“That would’ve been my guess. Because they play a high pressing, man-for-man style. Celtic have been up against a team on [Thursday] that was probably their worst nightmare.
“When you’re playing against a man-for-man system, you know that your man’s going to follow you wherever you’re going; you know you can take him wherever you need to go.
“So, for talking’s sake, Maeda must have understood that ‘when I go to the ball, the centre half’s coming with me’. That leaves space in behind.
“There’s got to be that leadership on the pitch, to go ‘hold on a minute, we’re ten minutes in here, we can’t get a breath’… I just know that the next time I’m getting the ball, I’m spinning this in behind, and I’m making sure somebody runs.
“Even when you play your pass to a full-back, or into midfield. You’re playing it, going, ‘oh, I’m stitching this guy up here’.
“You’re almost cringing as you’re playing it, because you know that you’re putting them in bother.
“All day long, the ball had to go in behind, and I think Celtic played into Roma’s hands.”
What needs to change after that defeat?
What changes will Wilfried Nancy make for Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup final?
After the 2-1 defeat to Hearts in his first match, Nancy named an unchanged starting XI against Roma – albeit, he made three changes at half-time.
Having broken into the first eleven under Martin O’Neill, Luke McCowan has dropped out of the side since Nancy – he has said that he’s desperate to play in his first Premier Sports Cup final.
Anthony Ralston and Colby Donovan have both watched from the bench as Yang Hyun-Jun and Sebastian Tounekti have started as makeshift full-backs.
But perhaps the player that fans are most desperate to see in the side is Kelechi Iheanacho – the team could certainly do with his goals.
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