Celtic in crisis – Sir Rod shares his thoughts

On 4 December, Frenchman Wilfried Nancy took over as manager of Celtic Football Club from interim manager Martin O'Neill, who had replaced Brendan Rodgers when he left in October and remained in charge of the Hoops until a new coach was appointed. A few days before Nancy was appointed, Celtic had won 3-1 in impressive fashion in the UEFA Europa League at Feyenoord Rotterdam – in front of Rod Stewart – at the De Kuip stadium.
However, Nancy's appointment marked the beginning of a crisis for the Scottish champions, with the Frenchman on the sidelines seeing the Bhoys lose four games in a row, including the League Cup final against underdogs FC St Mirren (1-3). Against FC Aberdeen, who had to play with ten men for 45 minutes, Kieran Tierney (88') and James Forrest (90'+2) secured the first win under the new coach late in the game. This was followed by a 4-2 win at bottom-of-the-table Livingston FC, but that was more of a drop in the ocean, as Celtic suffered their fifth defeat of the season (0-2) at Motherwell FC yesterday (Tuesday).
The team's performance was particularly worrying. Last year's champions managed only one chance on goal in 90 minutes at Fir Park, and the Hoops' defence in particular had a very bad day.
There is rumbling among the fans, with the majority already wanting manager Nancy out. Only a few still believe that the Frenchman, who came to Scotland from MLS in the USA, can turn things around in Glasgow.

Even superfan Rod Stewart is increasingly doubtful that the 48-year-old team manager can still turn things around at Paradise.
After the disastrous performance in Motherwell, Sir Rod took to social media to voice his opinion. ‘I couldn't sleep last night,’ the 80-year-old began his analysis of the situation, but admitted: ‘We played against a very good Motherwell team, who, in my opinion, played very modern football.’
However, the words of the singer of ‘You're In My Heart’ (a tribute to Celtic FC) also sounded very frustrated. ‘They attacked and attacked. And our defence seemed non-existent. It was humiliating,’ Rod grumbled.
And he asked himself what many Celtic fans have been wondering since yesterday evening. ‘Where will it all end? Will Nancy leave or will he be sacked? Or will he continue and we'll keep losing? It looks more like he'll stay. It all breaks my heart. Should Nancy be given another chance in January? I don't know.’
Rod is suffering and recalls that "I come from a family that is totally passionate about football. My mum once said, “Football has caused us more hardship and arguments than Adolf Hitler”. With that thought in mind, I'm going to Glasgow on Saturday to watch the Celtic game.‘ But Rod wouldn't be Rod if he didn't take a little dig before the Glasgow derby at Celtic Park. ’Good luck, Rangers," he laughed into the camera. Once a Celtic fan, always a Celtic fan, and there's no room for Rangers in that. The 449th derby between Celtic and the Gers is even more important than usual this time around due to the champions' precarious situation. In sporting terms, it is hugely important for the Bhoys in green if they want to stay in the race for the championship against leaders Heart of Midlothian. For coach Nancy, Saturday's match could be crucial. ‘The worst coach we've ever had – John Barnes (1999/2000 season, editor's note) – was sacked after six months following eight defeats in 29 games,’ recalled the music legend. The Frenchman Nancy may well suffer the same fate after just eight games. Even if, as things stand, it is more likely that the Celtic board will continue with the coach even if they lose the derby. Ultimately, it is also a question of money, as Nacy has a contract until 2028 and is likely to receive a hefty severance payment if he is dismissed. Money that Celtic does not currently have due to missing out on Champions League qualification in the summer.