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Nancy Calls for Greater Self-Belief as He Prepares for Celtic Debut
New Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy believes his players need to “believe a little bit more in themselves” as he prepares for his first match in charge against Hearts on Sunday. The 48-year-old Frenchman took over training on Friday morning and will lead the reigning Scottish Premiership champions at Celtic Park in a 15:00 GMT kickoff.
Nancy replaces interim boss Martin O’Neill, who completed his eight-game tenure on Wednesday following Brendan Rodgers’ resignation in October. The former Columbus Crew and CF Montreal head coach emphasized his desire for players to show both confidence and humility while demonstrating tactical flexibility across multiple positions.
A victory against current league leaders Hearts would move Celtic three points clear at the top with a game in hand before Thursday’s Europa League clash with Roma at home. Nancy stressed the importance of adapting tactics to different opponents, noting that Roma’s playing style differs significantly from Hearts’ approach.
The new manager faces an intense schedule with the Premier Sports Cup final against St Mirren next Sunday and his first Old Firm derby against Rangers scheduled for January 3. Nancy hinted at potential January transfer activity, suggesting there is a specific “profile that we need” while emphasizing his preference for a proactive, attacking style of play.
Nancy outlined his tactical philosophy of putting pressure on opponents and being “disgusting to play against” defensively during difficult moments. The manager acknowledged his limited time to assess players personally despite studying the team extensively through match footage during recent weeks.
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