Celtic: Martin O’Neill ‘would fortunately have stayed on’ as interim boss however what goes flawed for Wilfried Nancy?

Martin O’Neill insists he would “have happily stayed on” as Celtic’s interim supervisor for his or her League Cup last, which led to defeat underneath new boss Wilfried Nancy.

The 73-year-old returned to Celtic Park following Brendan Rodgers’ resignation and gained seven of his eight matches in cost.

That run included a League Cup semi-final win over Rangers, a 3-1 victory away to Feyenoord within the Europa League and 5 wins from 5 within the Scottish Premiership, which noticed Celtic draw degree with leaders Hearts, with a recreation in hand.

However, since taking on on a two-and-a-half-year deal, former Columbus Crew boss Nancy has misplaced in all three of these competitions – together with a League Cup last defeat to St Mirren and a loss at dwelling to top-of-the-table Hearts.

O’Neill additionally revealed he had a “10 or 15 minute conversation” with the “very affable, very nice” Nancy after handing over the reins.

When requested if he wished to take Celtic into Sunday’s League Cup last at Hampden Park, O’Neill “that wasn’t a driving force” for him.

“If they’d had asked me to stay, I would have done so,” he instructed TalkSport. “But the minute that they stated no, ‘hear, that is your time’, that’s wonderful by me.

“I stepped into the job, Dermot (Desmond) has said to me ‘you could be in it for two weeks or two months – we’re looking for someone’ – which is absolutely right. And that they’d be looking for somebody younger.

“My job was like holding the fort for some time, however whenever you get into it, you actually take pleasure in it. You take pleasure in profitable the video games.”

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He continued: “Beating Rangers in the semi-final gave us a chance going into the final. Finals are still difficult, but at the end of it all, if the board had said ‘we still have problems with visas and things like this’, I’d have happily stayed on, whatever that game may be, my last game. But that wasn’t a driving force from my viewpoint.”

Nancy’s begin of three successive defeats, forward of visiting Dundee United on Wednesday, reside on Sky Sports, is the worst begin to any Celtic supervisor’s period.

However, O’Neill believes the Frenchman ought to be given time to get issues proper in Glasgow and opened up on his conversations with Nancy.

“The board asked me if I would stay on and speak to the incoming manager. My last game was on Wednesday night vs Dundee. I would have been flying back to London on Thursday anyway, but I stayed until later on, and I met the incoming manager.

“Very affable, very good. It’s solely a ten or 15-minute dialog.

“He’s got his own philosophy and his own viewpoint in the game, and that’s absolutely fine, but I was not going to be coming in and giving him advice.

“I’d have handed on something the incoming supervisor would have wished to have heard from me. It’s so simple as that.”

Nancy asks Celtic followers to ‘belief’ him

Celtic’s defeat to St Mirren has some followers already questioning his appointment as Rodgers’ everlasting successor. However, the 48-year-old is adamant he’ll get it proper.

“I tell them that I want to do better for sure. But I am asking them, not to be patient but to trust what I am going to say regarding I can see what we are trying to do,” he stated after the Hampden defeat.

“My point is, I can see something good but this is not enough. We are not able to be consistent.

“I can perceive the followers. It is completely regular. I can ask the followers to imagine in me and to belief I can do issues, however that isn’t my job. I’ve to behave as an alternative of speaking.”

Sutton: Nancy does not have squad capable of making changes

Nancy instantly modified Celtic’s formation, opting to make use of his favoured again three since he took cost.

However, Sky Sports’ Chris Sutton says the squad at his former membership should not ok to adapt to what he needs.

He stated: “I feel for Wilfried Nancy. He is trying to implement a style, but his problem is that he has overestimated the level of player at the club right now.

“To play the way in which he needs takes tactical intelligence and suppleness and good resolution making, one thing this group of gamers lack.”

Nancy was requested if his gamers have been struggling to deal with the change, however doesn’t really feel that’s the case.

“No, not at all. To be honest with you, we had a really good performance in the first half vs Hearts, second half vs Roma and first half today,” the previous Columbus Crew and CF Montreal boss added.

“I am questioning everything. That is my job. Here, in the past and so on, this is our job to try and find solutions.

“I did not see it like that. The construction we had was actually attention-grabbing. We have been capable of go broad, undergo the center and we have been capable of assault the field.

“To me this is taking care of the ball and this is the only way to maximise our chance to do better.”

Celtic’s upcoming fixtures

• Dundee Utd (A) – Scottish Premiership – Wednesday – reside on Sky Sports
• Aberdeen (H) – Scottish Premiership – December 21
• Livingston (A) – Scottish Premiership – December 27 – reside on Sky Sports
• Motherwell (A) – Scottish Premiership – December 30
• Rangers (H) – Scottish Premiership – January 3 – reside on Sky Sports