Big Celtic, Wilfried Nancy update may concern Cardiff City - Ipswich Town will feel the same | OneFootball

Brian Barry-Murphy had been previously linked with the post at Celtic alongside Ipswich Town's Kieran McKenna

Cardiff City boss Brian Barry-Murphy had previously been linked with the post at Celtic before the appointment of Wilfried Nancy, and following the dismissal of the Frenchman after just over a month, Bluebirds fans will be sharing the same fears as Ipswich Town fans regarding their head coach.

Following their crushing relegation from the EFL Championship last season, Irish head coach Barry-Murphy was the man chosen to lead Cardiff into the third tier.

Neither Erol Bulut, Omer Riza, nor Aaron Ramsey could keep the Bluebirds afloat, meaning that the club would be playing its football in the third tier of England for the first time since 2003.

As we reach the halfway point of the League One season, though, it's so far, so good for Cardiff, who sit at the summit of the table, three points clear from second-place Lincoln City and with a game in hand.

With a tiny budget, largely relying on players that suffered relegation last season and youth products, the Irishman has done an excellent job thus far, and the news that Wilfried Nancy has been swiftly dismissed from his role at Celtic will not be welcome news to many Cardiff fans.

Barry-Murphy, alongside Ipswich Town's Kieran McKenna, had been previously linked with the top job in Glasgow before Nancy's appointment, and with his dismissal confirmed, Cardiff fans will be praying rumours of interest in their gaffer do not resurface.

Brian Barry-Murphy had been previously linked with the Celtic job before the appointment of Wilfried Nancy

Fortunately for Cardiff, Celtic were swift to announce the return of Martin O'Neill for the remainder of the season, having been the interim manager between the departure of Brendan Rodgers and the appointment of Nancy previously.

Indeed, that means Barry-Murphy will likely not be heading to Scotland for at least the rest of this season, as he hopes to guide Cardiff back to the second tier and has since reiterated his intention of staying put.

When asked about potentially switching Cardiff for Celtic, Barry-Murphy said: "I feel genuinely privileged to be here. I hope to stay here for a long time if they'll have me.

"I'm genuinely very, very grateful to be here.

"I'm just genuinely very grateful for being at Cardiff. The dressing room I'm working with is outstanding. The city and club are brilliant for me."

However, it is not just Celtic who have stood up and taken notice of the Irishman, with French side Strasbourg, which operates under the same ownership model as Chelsea, having reportedly shortlisted Barry-Murphy for the vacant post at the club following Liam Rosenior's departure to Chelsea.

Cardiff fans will be hoping that their head coach continues to reiterate his desire to stay in the Welsh capital for as long as he continues to have the Bluebirds flying, with the club in serious contention for an immediate return to the Championship under his guidance.

With Barry-Murphy's stock growing increasingly higher, Cardiff's task of trying to keep him at the club will become more and more difficult.

Should the Welsh outfit fail to achieve promotion, then it is very unlikely that Barry-Murphy would stay at the club for another season, so it really is promotion with the Irishman, or League One football once again next season without him.

With Celtic confirming the return of O'Neill, Barry-Murphy will not be going to The Bhoys this campaign, though with O'Neill not expected to remain in the Celtic Park dugout beyond the summer, interest in the Cardiff boss may well resurface at the end of the campaign.

Indeed, if Cardiff can weather the storm for Barry-Murphy, there is a good chance he will take them back to the Championship at the first time of asking, and it would then remain a question of whether any club will be able to poach him away in the summer.

Cardiff fans will be in the same boat as Ipswich fans, as they will be hoping to keep hold of McKenna, with promotion aspirations of their own.