Wilfried Nancy is reportedly on the shortlist to be named the new manager of Lorient in Ligue 1.
We are now almost five months on from the day Celtic confirmed the departure of Nancy and Paul Tisdale, following a nightmare 33-day spell.
Brought to Glasgow from Columbus Crew, his decision to immediately transplant his 3-4-3 system from MLS to Celtic was catastrophic for the team’s results.
His reputation will undoubtedly have taken a hit, but could he be handed a priceless opportunity to repair it in France?
Sum up Wilfried Nancy’s 33 days at Celtic in one word…
Wilfried Nancy: ex-Celtic boss on five-man Lorient shortlist
As reported by The Herald, Nancy features on a five-man shortlist of candidates for the next manager of Lorient.
Promoted straight back up to the top-flight after spending last season in Ligue 2, the French club currently sit ninth in Ligue 1.
READ MORE: Elijah Just admits taking notice of Celtic links after Motherwell future question
If you’re thinking that this sounds like a bizarre context for a managerial change, you are correct — current boss Olivier Pantaloni is resigning in protest at the club’s ownership.
Lorient are part of the Black Knight multi-club network, owned by American billionaire Bill Foley, which also owns Bournemouth and previously had a share of Hibs.
Foley had explored buying Celtic prior to moving onto Hibs, reports have said. Pantaloni claimed that he felt “distrust” from the owners due to “conditions” in his role, he said after announcing his departure.
Also on Lorient’s shortlist are ex-Southampton boss Will Still, as well as Wouter Vrancken, Julien Stephan and Stephane Le Mignan.
Nancy had never managed in Europe prior to coming to Celtic Park. In Columbus, he had established a reputation for winning trophies with a fluid, possession-based brand of football.
However, it quickly became evident that his lack of tactical flexibility made him a hugely erroneous choice to take the place of Martin O’Neill after the sudden resignation of Brendan Rodgers.
After Nancy’s departure, damning reports emerged that Celtic players were concerned by “academy level” training and passed their judgement on him “within 10 minutes”.
Was John Barnes the worst manager you have seen at Celtic?
Neil Lennon on Wilfried Nancy at Celtic
Speaking on talkSPORT, Neil Lennon questioned the “PR” behind the appointment of Nancy.
He said: “There’s a lot of PR work that goes on behind the scenes, without any real substance to what they’re actually doing.
“Wilfried Nancy… I don’t know who was behind that appointment, but it didn’t work out very well in a short space of time, so Celtic had to change that very quickly.
“They brought in a man with good experience, who’d been over the course and distance before. He obviously works with you guys at times, with Simon [Jordan] and Jim White.
“Man-management is key, but obviously, you use all the tools at your disposal. With the data analytics, with the analysis of oppositions, with the trends that you follow in the game.
“You take it on board, but you don’t have to preach it from the pulpit all the time. You can sort of take it in and use it to your advantage, but also have your own platform to work from.”
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
