“Quite worrying from a Celtic point of view,” Jackie McNamara | OneFootball

Former Celtic captain Jackie McNamara has been speaking about Wilfried Nancy’s introduction as Celtic manager over the past few days with Celtic TV media coverage on Thursday, a mainstream media conference on Friday and a debut match against Celtic Park on Sunday in the 2-1 defeat to Hearts who achieved back-to-back wins over the Champions.

Jackie McNamara and Johan Mjällby lift the League Cup 25 years ago today to proclaim Celtic’s first 21st Century triumph. Photo The Celtic Wiki

Speaking on the BBC’s Scottish Football Podcast the former Celt was asked how the Celtic players will be feeling after the weekend’s disappointment after a winning run of matches under interim boss Martin O’Neill.

“Frustrated. Players don’t like change, especially if it’s working – and it was. They had just got into a system. I thought the difference with Brendan to Martin; Brendan was more structured, he wants players to be in a certain place, and Martin is more about freedom,” McNamara said.

“I thought Martin turned it around there. I thought he did a fantastic job. He simplified it and you are thinking at that point they’ve caught up with Hearts and have a game in hand, but the (defeat) has set them back.”

Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney at Easter Road. Sunday 30 November 2025. Hibs v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

And Jackie admits he has concerns about the manager’s radical new tactical approach could be a case of too much too soon.

Celtic Manager Wilfried Nancy Celtic Team Training and press conference, Lennoxtown 05 December 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

“I think it was quite worrying from a Celtic point of view, in terms of the change of shape and personnel, putting his stamp on it so early rather than saying ‘right you know what, I am not going to tweak too many things there’.

“When you go into a new job, it’s about winning. It’s not about passion or the other cliches and everything else. You need to win, in that football environment. The players don’t like change, they don’t like getting spooked.

Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy arrives prior to the Premier League match between Celtic and Heart of Midlothian at Celtic Park on December 07, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“I don’t think he will change. Afterwards he said it wasn’t the system that was the problem. He won’t think it is the system’s fault. The players have to respond, regardless. That’s why I think it was such a gamble to change Martin at this point.

“When a new manager comes in, the best time to do it is pre-season to work on a new system, everybody knows their job. What has come out of (Sunday), all these memes about a tactics board – that shouldn’t be happening midway through a season.

Celtic Manager Wilfried Nancy Celtic Team Training 05 December 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock

“If the team is losing, yes, a new manager comes in, but Celtic were going very, very well. Now there is a big week coming up – Roma, who might exploit them defensively, and then a cup final. It’s a massive week, and the first bit they have got wrong.”

Wilfried Nancy didn’t control when he started, the Hearts game was the first one after all the formalities were concluded, and remember Martin O’Neill was initially talking about the change happening during the last international break.  He’s taken a hit by introducing his system immediately but the benefits from that will come in  upcoming matches as the players get a better handle on what the new manager wants from them.

Callum McGregor and new Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy are seen during the Premier League match between Celtic and Heart of Midlothian at Celtic Park on December 07, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The Celtic support must, as always, rally behind our new manager and forget all the nonsense about tactic boards and stuff like that which simply serve to ridicule Nancy and damage Celtic. It’s not a new trick. Maybe Wilfried will point this out the next time he speaks to Sky Sports.

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