‘Nancy blunder evidence of Celtic’s blurred vision’

When a manager leaves on a day like this, the first thing to do is to consider where everything went wrong, the future, and the moments when the writing appeared on the wall.

There is no need for any of that because it was never going to be the case with Wilfried Nancy. This saga had no turning points, and the plot never changed.

One of Celtic’s biggest mistakes in history was Nancy’s appointment. A relative newcomer with the Columbus Crew, who finished seventh in the Major League Soccer standings, the punt was largely based on Paul Tisdale’s, the now-deceased head of football operations, hipster vibes.

In his brief spell as a powerful player at Celtic Park, Tisdale didn’t speak up to the media or the fans, but he did a lot of damage. Tisdale is on par or even slightly ahead of him if Nancy performs exceptionally well on the club’s most disastrous calls, given that Nancy was the club’s board’s self-described “Doctor Football” who championed her.

Nancy never left the blocks, winning only two games out of eight, winning against bottom-of-the-table Livingston and winning against 10-man Aberdeen, who recently fired their manager.

Anyone and everyone culpable in the process of appointing him will now shove all of their memories of Nancy’s rule, if you will call it that. None of them will apologize or make amends if their recent performances demonstrate humility by admitting they did something wrong.

A brief written statement from the fans will do the trick. And then let them eat cake.

The Frenchman mentioned using skyscrapers to construct castles. He labored under the false impression that he had time to deliver his vision and that he deserved patience. He claimed in his parallel universe that while his masterpiece was being built, winning wasn’t everything.

The “process” was everything. He urged people to examine his previous accomplishments as proof of his skill. The day before, he let himself down by letting Rangers down 3-1 at home and then 2-0 at Motherwell, he said, “Do your job,” he told reporters.

Tisdale and Nancy had to leave. The club’s hapless state extends far beyond those two over-promoted characters, which is also obvious. Who ratified their appointments and why is another story. It reflects Celtic’s failure to win both on and off the field. It is at the very top.

Since Hogmanay, Celtic have lost a manager, head of football operations, and chairman (Peter Lawwell, who was fired due to an abusive support element).

The club’s lack of communication is remarkable. Regular fans experience a profound disconnect and alienation from what is happening, regardless of the support’s most extreme aspects.

Some people are bound to feel entitlement, which is understandable given the titles Celtic have won. There is only anger elsewhere, though, about a club on the drift making poor decisions, going backwards domestically and in Europe while having close to £80 million in the bank.

These supporters complain about the lack of ambition, the absence of a strategy, and the lack of a plan under the current board, which is led by Dermot Desmond, the majority shareholder, and Michael Nicholson, the CEO.

Celtic’s strategy seems to be one of putting their team ahead of Rangers and seeing what, if anything, can they possibly get out of Europe.

Brendan Rodgers’ relationship with the club’s powerbrokers sank and burned because of that thinking. His departure and the brutal words Desmond said about him made him feel callous. Despite his flaws, Rodgers did not deserve that.

John Kennedy, his assistant manager, also left at the time. Kennedy, a player and coach for 27 years, was given a statement at Celtic without a word when he left. He lacked merit. Where are the class and the dignity, exactly?

There is neither a clear-cut nor a clear-cut view of Celtic. They could finish their stadium and build it a nearly 80 000-square-foot citadel, one of the best on earth, but they haven’t.

There is no sign of it, despite the fact that they could build one of football’s greatest museums – Lord knows there are enough icons and memorable moments to fill it.

They could have used a cutting-edge scouting system that was both innovative and precise, but they didn’t.

They continue to whizz along, cash-strapped and content to do business their way, but even that is now in jeopardy. The development of Hearts and Tony Bloom’s and Jamestown Analytics’ support threaten to have a significant impact on the game.

Now what? They might turn to O’Neill in a panic as a sticking plaster replacement, but O’Neill would be perfectly entitled to claim that either he has been made permanent manager this time or that he isn’t interested. He’s not a lapdog that barks at everyone. Or shouldn’t be.

After his bruising spells with Spurs and Nottingham Forest, they might try Ange Postecoglou to see if he has regained his drive and resolve to manage.

They might reconsider their interest in Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna or go for Jens Berthal Askou, the impressive Motherwell manager. The issue is that Celtic currently lacks football knowledge at that level.

The wise ones are where? They lack the gnarled athletic director and lack the kind of brain-trust a club like Celtic should have. Tisdale and Nancy ended up in that situation.

Fans of Celtic must be concerned that those errors will happen again. Who might this board come up with if it isn’t an obvious, proven winner like O’Neill or Postecoglou? It’s going to be a sobering thought for supporters given the Nancy error.