Celtic Faces an Adjustment Period Under Wilfried Nancy’s New System

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The Celtic Star

·15 de diciembre de 2025

Celtic Faces an Adjustment Period Under Wilfried Nancy’s New System

Celtic has undergone a jarring transition under Wilfried Nancy. The introduction of his 3-4-2-1 system in his first match in charge hasn’t gone well so far. Losing his first three matches against Hearts (2-1) in the Scottish Premiership, Roma (3-0) in the Europa League and the Premier Sports Cup Final against St Mirren (3-1) on Sunday afternoon. has already created some unnecessary tension.

Amid all the voices of dissent, former Captain Jackie McNamara has suggested that the players are likely frustrated by the system. Under Martin O’Neill, the team had found relative stability as he used a more traditional back four.

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Celtic v Falkirk 29.10.2025 Scottish Premiership. Martin O’Neill, Shaun Maloney, Gavin Strachan and Mark Fotheringham Photo Kenny Ramsay IMAGO

However, adjusting to a new system mid-season requires a transitional period, something the club can ill-afford while embroiled in a tight race for the title. Among many of the best betting sites where you can bet securely with your credit card, Celtic are still priced as 4/9 favourites to go all the way. The team has seen a ton of wagering revolve around its games among online betting sites, although many bettors will be keeping a close eye on how Celtic adjusts to the new system.

Given how wobbly they looked in the last game, any more stumbles could make for a lucrative wager against them, since the team is still likely to enter most domestic games as favourites.

Jackie McNamara and Henrik Larsson of Celtic celebrates with the trophy after winning the 119th Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Dunfermline held at Hampden Park on May 22, 2004. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Either way, for now, McNamara and many others are likely to continue voicing their disapproval of the new formation if things don’t click for Nancy and his tactics soon. Seen as an overly tactical formation, it’s a tricky one that can take a few games to adjust to players who aren’t accustomed to the kind of discipline it requires, going both ways.

With Celtic currently in second with a game in hand over Hearts, McNamara highlighted that the challenge lies in balancing continuity with innovation. The shift requires players to quickly understand new positioning. For now, Nancy has been quick to emphasise that it isn’t the formation that should be the concern. Instead, he has focused on player connections and decision-making during the game. However, many rightly argue that the players can’t reasonably be expected to adjust to such a broad shift in just a few days of having adopted it.

Wilfried Nancy during the Premier Sports Cup Final match between St Mirren and Celtic at Hampden Park on December 14, 2025. (Photo by Vagelis Georgariou, The Celtic Star)

Overall, Celtic’s current period reflects a club navigating the tension between immediate performance and strategic adaptation. However, there will be no time to lose ahead of the busy upcoming schedule. Players must internalise new responsibilities quickly, while management monitors the impact on cohesion and results. The coming weeks will test whether the new formation can be integrated successfully without disrupting morale or results.

The debate isn’t likely to go away unless results start backing it up soon. However, many fans will be nervous, since the football world has seen this kind of pattern play out in some high-profile ways. Rúben Amorim’s difficult start as Manchester United coach has been well-documented by now. For a time, he was lambasted for stubbornly sticking to his preferred 3-4-3 formation. While results did eventually begin trickling in, inconsistency is still rife at the Red Devils. Celtic fans can only hope a similar saga isn’t about to play out.