For a while, we at The Celtic Bhoys had been talking about the risks of appointing Wilfried Nancy at this point in the season. The Hoops were doing a great job under the interim charge of Martin O'Neill and had won seven of their eight games with the veteran manager in the dugout. Well, for some reason, the board decided that it was the right time to bring the Frenchman in before a very difficult stretch of games.
The first of them was a top of the table clash against Hearts. And it is one that the Hoops have lost, with Nancy stumbling in his very first challenge as Celtic manager.
This puts the pressure right on him. The next game is against AS Roma in the Europa League, another match that Nancy might have a tough time getting a result in.
And then, there will be the Scottish League Cup final against St Mirren. Now, it remains to be seen how Nancy handles this run of fixtures. It might be make or break for him.
'Embarrassing' - Celtic fans react to Wilfried Nancy's debut
As one Celtic fan said: "Celtic lose at home to a side with only 1 win in their last 6 before today. Embarrassing result & immediately puts pressure on Wilfried Nancy."
Another said: "Ridiculous appointment. We’re not playing college football here."
Well, it is safe to say that Nancy has a lot to prove from here. A lot of fans were never convinced that he was the right man for the job.
Now, the pressure will be even higher, now that he has failed to deliver in his very first game in charge of Celtic. This is not the start the board would have been hoping for when they made the move for the Frenchman.
Of course, it is never easy for any manager to come in and immediately start delivering results. That being said, time is of the essence if you are in charge at Celtic Park. If things don't come around quickly, it won't be long before calls are made for Nancy to be sacked. Many might feel that this is an overreaction after just one game. But Russell Martin's 123-day run at Ibrox is proof of how fast things happen in Glasgow.