Fresh doubt has emerged over one leading candidate among favourites to be handed Hoops job
Pat Nevin reckons it would be a major surprise if Wilfried Nancy is appointed Celtic manager after throwing fresh doubt over the Frenchman’s chances of landing the job.
The Chelsea legend has been left questioning whether the Columbus Crew boss has the necessary track record the Parkhead club often look for when it comes to identifying the right man to fill the position.
Nancy remains the front-runner to replace Brendan Rodgers in the hotseat, and while his achievements in the MLS with CF Montreal and Columbus Crew make for impressive reading, Nevin feels he still lacks the experience and profile typically sought by Celtic officials.
With the search now entering a critical stage and a final shortlist drawn up, social media reaction to Nancy landing the role has been mixed with some fans anxious of a quickfire return to a high-intensity style of play after Rodgers’ departure.
And Nevin believes that could add another layer to the discussion with the former Scotland international an admirer of Nancy’s qualities but concerned about his relatively short managerial career to date, spanning just four years.
Speaking to the Daily Record, he stated: “I would be staggered if Wilfried Nancy got the Celtic job. It's not because of inability, it's just that his style is interesting.
“Remember, Celtic took Ange Postecoglou because of his style, and it fitted with Celtic's style and the ethos of the club. Ange had been very, very successful in other places, Australia, Japan, etc. Don't knock the Japanese league, either.
“But Nancy, I think he has to do a bit more before he gets the Celtic job in terms of bigger jobs. And that's not against him, he's a new, young manager. If he gets it, good luck to him. But it's not something that Celtic would normally do. It really isn't.”
Kjetil Knutsen hailed as ‘master tactician’
Nevin believes other candidates, notably Ipswich Town's Kieran McKenna and Bodo/Glimt's Kjetil Knutsen, fit the traditional profile Celtic would usually look for in a manager.
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And he has been particularly impressed by the Norwegian boss, adding: “I think the one we need to talk about is Kjetil Knutsen. A lot of people are talking about him. There's a phrase, if they get him, they've won a watch.
“That's the one you want to get. You have to remember, if you're an executive and you're trying to get a new manager, what are you wanting? As a fan, you want the guy who is a master tactician, and he gets the lads going, all that sort of stuff.
“If you're a club, you're thinking, who does he know? What players is he going to bring here that we couldn't have got? Has he got a backing behind him that gets other things in? What's he done in the past?
“Bodo/Glimt, by the way, have done all right. I think we can agree with that. They've been fantastic for a number of seasons and are punching above their weight.”
Kieran McKenna appointment would be a ‘massive decision’
As for McKenna, Nevin believes he would be a “massive decision” for Celtic, acknowledging the difficult position the 39-year-old would find himself in if approached by the club given the impressive work he's done at Portman Road.
The pundit commented: “Kieran McKenna, again, a massive decision. That's a big call. That must hurt him if he's getting pulled by Celtic, considering the job he's done at Ipswich. His Irish background to Celtic is a big draw.”
“I think there are a number of managers out there that Celtic will think of. Remember, they did exactly the same with Ange. He was really, really successful, but why?
“Well, Kyogo Furuhashi came, Daizen Maeda came, Reo Hatate came. He knew a market that they could use quite well.
“Would that be the same with Knutsen? That might be tempting, but that's to take nothing away from all the other names that have been mentioned.”
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