"Wilfried Nancy has finally arrived at Celtic, with promises of "exciting, attacking, winning football". But before principles come priorities. Martin O'Neill leaves having closed the eight-point deficit with Heart of Heart of Midlothian, so the Frenchman can begin his Celtic Park tenure by taking his new side to the top of the Scottish Premiership with victory over the faltering early leaders on Sunday."
"So what does the former Columbus Crew and Montreal head coach need to do in the early days of his tenure? The one thing in short supply for any new Celtic manager is arguably the element they crave above all others - time. So Nancy will have to get his head round navigating the first big block of fixtures - and doing it with minimal losses."
"The schedule is arduous, with a game every three or four days up to his first taste of the derby with Rangers on 3 January. Not just any old games either - a game at Hampden with silverware up for grabs and a Hearts visit that will decide who leads the domestic table. A difficult-looking assignment against Roma, with Europa League qualification at stake, also has to be negotiated before the turn of the year."
Wilfried Nancy arrives at Celtic expected to deliver exciting, attacking, winning football while facing immediate high-stakes fixtures. Celtic confront must-win matches: a league clash that can move them top, a Europa League tie with Roma, a Premier Sports Cup final versus St Mirren, and a January derby with Rangers. The schedule forces games every three or four days, leaving little training time. Nancy’s preferred 'Nancyball' uses a 3-4-3, a very high defensive line and a ball-playing goalkeeper, a high-risk, high-reward approach that may challenge current squad habits. Early results are crucial.
Read at www.bbc.com
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