“I thought they looked like the Celtic of old,” Livingston boss David Martindale | OneFootball

Livingston manager David Martindale has publicly backed Wilfried Nancy ahead of this weekend’s Scottish Premiership meeting with Celtic…

While Nancy finally opened his account with a 3-1 victory against Aberdeen last Sunday, the Frenchman has remained under scrutiny following a disastrous start that saw four consecutive defeats, with frustration among sections of the support reaching a boiling point during the 2-1 loss versus Dundee United at Tannadice.

Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy reacts during the Premier League match between Celtic and Aberdeen at Celtic Park on December 21, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Speaking before Saturday’s clash at Home of the Set Fare Arena, Martindale dismissed the criticism surrounding his counterpart, suggesting Celtic’s performances show clear signs of improvement despite the unflattering early results.

The Livingston boss stressed that managerial transitions take time, adding that he believes Nancy’s impact will become clearer as the season progresses.

“I think there has been a massive improvement in Celtic since he came in,” he said via STV Sport.

“In the cup final, St Mirren were the better team on the day. But he had to take over when he did. Martin O’Neill had done a brilliant job, but that also put him under a bit of pressure.”

“But you’re a manager coming in with your ideals. If he’d gone in, changed it and won the cup final, then won the next couple of games, nobody would be saying anything. Everyone would be talking about how brave he is. It’s all hindsight; everyone is an expert after the fact.”

“For me, I think the reaction to him has been disappointing and unfair. We are highly critical in this country and I think it’s a modern trend that it’s getting worse. And it’s probably part of the job being at Celtic or (the)Rangers.”

Martindale added: “But anyone who watched the Dundee United game – and Jim Goodwin said himself they were lucky to not be three down at half-time – will know what I’m talking about here. I watched it, and they should have been out of sight in the first half. Then on Sunday, the Aberdeen game, yeah, it was against ten men for a while, but I thought they looked like the Celtic of old.

“They look as if every session they’re getting under the new manager, every game they’re playing, is getting them to show signs of progression. It’s still Celtic Football Club, they still have magnificent players.

“Brendan Rodgers talked about Ferraris and Honda Civics, and I get what he was saying. I actually agreed with it a bit – but if they have Hondas, then what do the rest of us have! They’re still top players playing for a massive club, an institution.

“I’d rather be in their position than my position – if they’re going through such a hard time, I’m quite happy to swap the points!”

Conor Spence

Watch Wilfried Nancy’s latest Media Conference below…

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