Stiliyan Petrov says ‘Martin O’Neill has given Wilfried Nancy the title’, as he sounds Celtic warning

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Celtic were eight points behind Hearts when Brendan Rodgers left in October.

Everything was going wrong at Celtic, but then Martin O’Neill entered the building, and he changed the mood pretty quickly.

Celtic won every domestic game under O’Neill, including beating Rangers in the League Cup semi-final, and left the champions of Scotland level on points with leaders Hearts, with a game in hand.

And even though Wilfried Nancy lost his first game in charge against Hearts, Stiliyan Petrov is pretty confident about what O’Neill has left behind.

• READ MORE: Gordon Strachan hits the nail on the head about Wilfried Nancy’s start at Celtic

Stiliyan Petrov says Martin O’Neill has given Wilfried Nancy the title

Speaking on talkSPORT, Petrov expressed his delight at his former manager doing an ‘amazing’ and ‘refreshing’ job.

Celtic’s legendary midfielder also feels that O’Neill has ‘given Nancy the title’ by cutting the gap in the manner in which he did.

Jeff Stelling: “I always think the Celtic manager’s job is a really tough job, because coming second is deemed failure.”

Petrov: “It is a failure. It is a failure. You come second, it’s like you haven’t done anything. A new manager. I loved my former gaffer and our former manager, Martin O’Neill. Me and Gabby (Agbonlahor) both love him.

“He did an incredible job. He was amazing. It was refreshing.

“But the new manager. I think Martin O’Neill has given him the title. I think he cut the gap. He has given him the opportunity to win something very early.

“And he has given him the opportunity to be within touching distance of Hearts. Now it’s down to the new manager to go and take it.”

Petrov’s warning to Nancy after Celtic’s defeat to Hearts

There has been a lot of hysteria around Nancy’s first game, and it’s pretty pathetic how certain parts of the media have treated him.

Petrov noted that Nancy does ‘need time’, but warned that it doesn’t last long.

“Of course, in the first game, you tried new things, and people need time,” insisted Petrov.

“But the time will run out if you don’t win the games.”