Dundee United 2-1 Celtic: No-wins Nancy is now reaching the point of no return after a fourth-straight defeat – with Wilfried withering fans are demanding the return of Martin O’Neill, writes STEPHEN HALLIDAY
On another extraordinary day in this soap opera of a season for Celtic, Wilfried Nancy may just have reached the point of no return in record time.
As profane chants telling him where to go in no uncertain terms filled the air at Tannadice, alongside serenades for his interim predecessor Martin O’Neill, there could be no doubt the travelling fans have made their minds up about their new manager.
Already the first man to lose his first three games in the job, Nancy set another gruesome landmark as Dundee United made it four. It’s the first time since 1977-78 that Celtic have suffered such a sequence of defeats.
Bizarrely, Nancy’s latest calamity came just a few hours after chief executive Michael Nicholson had felt the need to give him a vote of confidence in a club TV interview occasioned by the announcement Peter Lawwell is stepping down as chairman at the end of the month.
Events on the pitch are simply inflaming the discontent among Celtic fans which has seen Lawwell decide he and his family can no longer cope with the level of vitriol coming their way.
It was a memorable evening for United who ended a seven-game winless run in the Premiership and savoured their first victory over Celtic in all competitions since 2014.
Wilfried Nancy can’t believe it after his Celtic side lost for the fourth time in a row
Celtic had taken the lead against Dundee United with Daizen Maeda slotting home
Maeda’s goal had looked to calm Celtic nerves but they then capitulated in the second half
They were good value for it after a stirring second-half display saw Krisztian Keresztes and Zac Sapsford cancel out Daizen Maeda’s early opener for Celtic.
Nancy’s side, after a promising start, ended the night as a shapeless, aimless mess and still six points behind leaders Hearts in the title race.
For the Celtic directors, there was simply no escaping the toxicity of the situation which has engulfed their club this season. The experiment of appointing an unheralded coach from the MLS is blowing up in their face.
Seated high in a section of the Eddie Thompson Stand, they were greeted even before kick-off by a giant banner with an arrow pointing towards them and the words ‘Celtic’s Shame’ unveiled by visiting supporters in the adjacent corner of the stadium. Just underneath, it read ‘One down, more to go’ in reference to Lawwell’s imminent departure.
As they shifted uncomfortably in their seats, they badly needed Nancy to put his horrendous start behind him and start generating at least a sliver of positivity about his tenure.
The Frenchman’s team selection and formation were very much a case of doubling down rather than backing down in the wake of the early scorn and scepticism which had greeted his strategy in the three previous defeats.
Two of his four changes were forced upon him as Sebastian Tounekti and Kelechi Iheanacho missed out due to Africa Cup of Nations duty and a hamstring injury, respectively.
Dropping central defensive regular Liam Scales and club record £11million signing Arne Engels to the bench was more of an eye-raiser.
Celtic fielding a back three of Tony Ralston, Auston Trusty and Kieran Tierney at any stage this season wouldn’t have been on anyone’s bingo card.
Celtic fans had already vented their anger at the Parkhead board who were in attendance
Hyun-jun Yang and Luke McCowan were handed the wide midfield roles as he stuck to his favoured 3-4-3 set-up with Reo Hatate and Maeda either side of Johnny Kenny up front.
The early signs were not short of encouragement for Nancy as Celtic showed pace and purpose to hem United into their own half.
Maeda looked far happier to find himself on the left and he began his torment of the home defence with an inviting low ball across the face of the six-yard box in the fourth minute which the stretching Yang was unable to convert at the back post.
United simply couldn’t contain the Japanese forward who quickly found space again to set up another good chance for Kenny who clumsily screwed a shot over when a headed attempt looked a better option.
Kenny’s wastefulness continued when he could only shoot straight at Dave Richards after breaking clear.
Maeda took matters into his own hands with a deadly finish to give Celtic their fully merited 13th-minute breakthrough. United were carved open yet again after giving the ball away cheaply in midfield and Kenny slipped the ball to Maeda who turned inside the floundering Bert Esselink and drilled a low shot beyond Richards.
Celtic’s domination at this stage was total but their profligacy allowed United to remain in contention. Kenny had the Celtic fans holding their heads in frustration again when he delayed a shot far too long after breaking free, allowing Keresztes time to make a saving challenge inside the penalty area.
Goodwin’s side gradually managed to secure some kind of foothold in the contest and striker Max Watters began to threaten a Celtic defence who looked uncertain at times.
The Barnsley loanee might have done better than scoop a shot over from the edge of the box after being picked out by Will Ferry, then he completely miscued an effort when left unmarked from closer range.
Celtic only had themselves to blame for the match remaining in the balance. Kenny was the guilty party yet again in the 34th minute when Maeda raced onto Paulo Bernardo’s pass down the left and whipped over another fine low cross.
It looked harder to miss but that’s just what Kenny did, the Irish striker posting a contender for sitter of the season as he dragged his shot wide from inside the six-yard box.
United were being let off the hook and Goodwin tried to make the most of it. He changed shape at the start of the second half, switching to a back four as the toiling Esselink was replaced by Vicko Sevelj.
His team made as bright an opening to the second 45 minutes as Celtic had in the first. It required a superb block from Trusty to stop a Sapsford effort from troubling Kasper Schmeichel.
United’s Australian striker was soon testing the Celtic keeper, however, with a snapshot which Schmeichel reacted well to keep out.
The warning signs were flashing ever louder for Nancy’s side but weren’t heeded. Celtic were left reeling as United scored twice in the space of six minutes to turn the match on its head.
Chairman Peter Lawwell had announced his departure earlier in the day but that couldn’t quell the Celtic support’s fury
Celtic were unable to clear Ferry’s 55th-minute cross from the right, allowing Sevelj time to cushion a pass into the path of Keresztes who swept a finish any striker would have been proud of beyond Schmeichel.
The sense of anxiety spreading through the Celtic ranks was almost palpable and United feasted on it as they went 2-1 up. Again, the visitors were unable to deal with a straightforward ball into their penalty area. United were quickest to react as Amar Fatah teed up Sapsford who bent a magnificent right-foot shot beyond Schmeichel’s left hand.
Nancy desperately turned to his bench in the closing stages and Shin Yamada, a reminder of the underwhelming summer recruitment which led to Brendan Rodgers’ exit as manager, made a rare outing.
Predictably enough, he missed two excellent chances. When Maeda headed against a post from close range, the game was up for Celtic. For Nancy, it may already be game over.
