The Celtic Park air in early 2026 is thick with a familiar, acrid scent—the smell of a managerial reign teetering on the brink. Wilfried Nancy, the Frenchman tasked with reviving the Glasgow giants, now finds himself staring into an abyss of his own making following a catastrophic 3-1 defeat to arch-rivals Rangers. What began as a promising afternoon swiftly unraveled into a nightmare, a 21-minute second-half collapse that may have sealed his fate. With a staggering six defeats in his first nine matches, the question is no longer if Nancy will go, but when.

The match itself was a tale of two halves, a perfect microcosm of Nancy's brief and turbulent tenure. Celtic were electric in the first period. They seized an early lead and dominated possession, playing with a fluidity and confidence that suggested a corner had been turned. Fans dared to dream of a statement victory. Yet, the interval proved to be a curse, not a respite. As former Celtic striker Tam McManus brutally pointed out on social media, it has become a predictable pattern: "Every manager has adjusted at half-time v Celtic/Nancy and went on to win the game." Danny Rohl's Rangers emerged transformed, while Nancy's Celtic looked tactically bankrupt and mentally fragile, conceding three quickfire goals to surrender the match.

This inability to manage games or react to in-match adversity has been Nancy's fatal flaw. The team's performances have become a frustrating cycle of promising build-up play followed by catastrophic defensive lapses and a complete lack of in-game management. The statistics paint a damning picture:

• Matches in Charge: 9

• Defeats: 6

• Win Rate: A paltry 22%

• Key Issue: Consistent second-half collapses

For a club of Celtic's stature, where victory is the only currency, these numbers are simply untenable. The patience of the board and the faith of the supporters, already worn thin by recent seasons of disappointment, have evaporated almost entirely.

McManus didn't mince words in his post-match analysis, calling the performance "abysmal" and suggesting it would be the "final nail in the coffin for Nancy." He also highlighted a critical technical failing: the stark contrast between the goalkeepers. While Rangers' veteran Jack Butland produced a series of superb saves to keep his side in the game during Celtic's dominant spell, Celtic's own keeper, Kasper Schmeichel, looked vulnerable. "Schmeichel been awful. Any shot on target a goal," McManus noted, underscoring how individual errors have compounded the systemic tactical issues.

The broader context makes Nancy's position even more precarious. Celtic is not a project club; it is an institution where immediate success is demanded. The Scottish Premiership title is the bare minimum expectation each season, and falling behind Rangers so dramatically, both in the table and in head-to-head clashes, is viewed as a profound failure. Nancy's philosophy, while aesthetically pleasing in flashes, has proven to be brittle under the intense pressure and physicality of Scottish football, particularly in the cauldron of an Old Firm derby.

What comes next is a waiting game, but one that likely won't last long. The club's hierarchy is now faced with a critical decision. Do they allow Nancy more time—a luxury rarely afforded at Parkhead—to implement his ideas fully, hoping this disastrous start is merely a painful bedding-in period? Or do they cut their losses now, accepting that the appointment has failed and initiating yet another costly and disruptive search for a new leader?

The mood among the fanbase suggests the latter. Social media and fan forums are flooded with calls for his dismissal. The goodwill he arrived with has been entirely spent. When a team shows such a blatant lack of fight and tactical discipline in the club's most important fixture, the manager invariably pays the price. Nancy's legacy, tragically short, may be defined by that 21-minute spell where his team's resolve, and his own authority, completely dissolved.

In the end, football is a results business. Wilfried Nancy's Celtic have produced flashes of promise but a torrent of poor results. The 2026 Old Firm defeat wasn't just another loss; it felt like a final, brutal indictment of a project that has lost its way before it ever truly began. The writing, as they say, is not just on the wall—it's being etched in stone. 😔 The clock is ticking louder than ever in the Celtic manager's office, and for Wilfried Nancy, time has almost certainly run out.