It has all flipped on its head within a week at Celtic, and all for the wrong reasons.
It wasn’t so long ago that Martin O’Neill had seemingly turned the tide at Celtic, and the dark clouds were being removed from above Parkhead.
But fast forward to the present, and Wilfried Nancy has lost his first three Celtic games, including the League Cup final to St Mirren on Sunday at Hampden.
So, what does the man, who Nancy replaced, think about it all? O’Neill was classy, as usual, in his response to Nancy’s current troubles.
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Martin O’Neill responds to Wilfried Nancy’s start at Celtic
Speaking on talkSPORT, O’Neill has tried to cool down the storm around Nancy by urging everyone to ‘give him a chance.’
Yes, O’Neill understands that the Frenchman is in a tricky situation, and you simply ‘just have to win’ at Celtic, which hasn’t happened here.
But Celtic’s legendary coach has advised Nancy to ‘lean on’ the senior players at the club, including captain Callum McGregor.
“You have got to give managers chances,” said O’Neill. “You have to give them a chance. I think back to my own time at Leicester City, where I eventually enjoyed really nice success.
“Coming into a situation now, you just have to win. You have to win. Steady it again now, if it’s gone afloat a bit or whatever the case may be. You just go in and win a game or two.
“There are some excellent players at the football club. There are some boys who have won big times. The captain is a terrific example there. Really, really good. Was brilliant for me and to me. Sometimes, just lean on the senior players. Just lean on them and get them on your side.
“I could have lost all of those games, too (Hearts, Roma and St Mirren) – it is recoverable.”
Is this the end for Wilfried Nancy?
O’Neill on Celtic fans wanting him back
In the build-up to Nancy being appointed and all the paperwork being sorted, there was a debate as to whether O’Neill should stay on.
So, given how things have started for the Frenchman, those very same supporters want O’Neill back, but he was classy in his response to it all.
Jim White: “So what’s your message to all the Celtic fans, and I mean many, many, who are messaging in this morning. Who are saying it’s a polite, ‘no thanks to Wilfried Nancy and Martin, we want you back?'”
O’Neill: “You can’t make a judgment on anybody over three games.
“I don’t care about the matches. The matches were difficult. Roma was going to be a difficult game, whether you are playing at home or not. Hearts was a top-of-the-table clash. A cup final. A cup final is a cup final. You have to give a manager some time.”
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