As Wilfried Nancy slowly disappeared down the tunnel at Celtic Park at full-time, the image was painfully symbolic. A manager looking haunted, overwhelmed, and increasingly detached from the reality of the job he was entrusted with. After a 3-1 defeat to Rangers, Nancy has now lost six of his eight matches in charge of Celtic, and the sense that this appointment was a mistake is no longer whispered—it is shouted.

There was fleeting hope in the first half of the Old Firm derby. Celtic played with urgency, aggression and intent, pinning Rangers back and heading into the break with momentum. But hope, under Nancy, has become fragile. Everyone inside Celtic Park knew the same truth: one goal was never going to be enough.

From Promise to Collapse – Celtic’s Familiar Second-Half Failure

Celtic needed to kill the game early in the second half. A second goal, maybe even a third, was essential. They had chances, clear ones, but once again failed to take them. And once Rangers regained belief, Celtic folded.

In a ruthless 21-minute spell, Rangers struck three times. Celtic’s resistance evaporated instantly. The stadium lights may have remained on, but metaphorically, Celtic went dark.

This pattern has become grimly familiar. A bright start, followed by tactical confusion, defensive chaos and a team unable—or unwilling—to stay in the fight.

Tactical Confusion and Structural Weaknesses Exposed Again

At the heart of Celtic’s problems lies Nancy’s rigid system, one that appears ill-suited to both the players at his disposal and the realities of Scottish football. The vast spaces conceded, particularly in defensive transitions, were punished mercilessly by Rangers.

Perhaps nothing summed up the confusion more than the handling of Julian Araujo. Signed as a right-back, rarely used at Bournemouth, and sent off in his only appearance there this season, Araujo was thrown into the Old Firm cauldron in unfamiliar roles.

He entered the game as a right wing-back, forcing the dangerous Yang Hyun-jun to switch flanks—a move that blunted Celtic’s threat and handed Rangers a tactical gift. Minutes later, Araujo was shifted again, this time to right centre-back. Two unnatural positions. An Old Firm debut. Twenty-three minutes. A team already losing. An angry crowd.

It was managerial chaos, plain and simple.

Rangers Ruthless as Celtic Crumble

Rangers were far from spectacular, but they were resilient, disciplined and clinical. When chances arrived, they took them. Youssef Chermiti, unlikely hero, tormented Celtic and scored twice in nine breathless minutes—doubling his goal tally for the season and turning the derby on its head.

This was the difference between the sides: Rangers fought; Celtic fractured.

Nancy’s Post-Match Comments Deepen the Disconnect

If the performance raised alarm bells, Nancy’s post-match comments only amplified them. Claiming Celtic “deserved more” from a 3-1 defeat suggested a manager increasingly out of touch with reality.

Celtic didn’t lose because of bad luck. They lost because they failed to take chances, lacked structure, and collapsed mentally. “Deserve” had nothing to do with it.

Nancy insisted the defeat was “not about players or tactics” but about “moments and details”—a baffling assertion when those very moments and details are shaped by tactical setup, player roles and in-game management.

Even his assertion that “it’s not about myself” rang hollow. Of course it’s not only about him—but it is partly about him, and increasingly so.

System Over Sense: Stubbornness at a Cost

Nancy has repeatedly cited the lack of a pre-season and transfer window as obstacles to implementing his philosophy. That may be fair. What is not fair—or logical—is persisting with the same system regardless of evidence that it is failing.

Is it stubbornness? Arrogance? Naivety? Or all three combined?

In contrast, Rangers’ Danny Rohl assessed his limitations, adapted, and became pragmatic. Nancy has done the opposite—dragging his players backwards in pursuit of a vision that appears visible only to him.

Any stability built under previous regimes has been sacrificed on the altar of “process” and an unwavering belief that he is building something profound.

Responsibility Beyond the Dugout

This crisis does not rest solely with Nancy. Questions must be asked of Paul Tisdale, the director of football operations, and the Celtic board that sanctioned the appointment.

What was the recruitment process? Who else was interviewed? What due diligence was carried out? Everything we’ve seen suggests this was less strategy and more gamble.

The fallout is now visible. Fan protests outside Celtic Park, police lines holding back furious supporters, and a club fractured from top to bottom.

Rangers Recover, Celtic Regress

Earlier in the season, Celtic supporters revelled in Rangers’ turmoil—their chaotic recruitment, managerial exits, and boardroom upheaval. Now, Rangers are level on points with Celtic, both trailing Hearts, and appear to have turned a corner after accepting painful truths.

Celtic have not.

They have problems everywhere: on the pitch, in the dugout, and in the boardroom. Removing Nancy would only be the first step, but it feels like an unavoidable one.

Eight games is a short tenure, but there is no evidence—none—that he should be allowed to continue.

What Next for Celtic?

Speculation about a Martin O’Neill return is inevitable, but even that would not instantly clear the fog. This is a club in need of deep reflection, structural change, and accountability.

The chaos is on Nancy—but not only Nancy.

For now, one thing feels certain: the experiment is failing, and Celtic’s patience, like their performances, has run out.