The win over Aberdeen certainly took a lot of pressure off of Wilfried Nancy's shoulders. That being said, he has to string together a run of wins if he is to survive in the Celtic job for any significant length of time. If not, the sack calls will reemerge soon enough. So, the Hoops should have a Plan B, just in case they have to part ways with the Frenchman some way down the line.
The Celtic board are clearly intent on making sure that Nancy proves to be a success. Otherwise, he would have been sacked after the opening four losses. Sacking him would be an admission that they completely got the appointment wrong, which they might not be keen to do.
That being said, if Nancy continues to struggle, at some point, common sense will need to prevail. If or when it does, who will be brought in as the next Celtic manager?
Bookmakers have placed Martin O'Neill as the favourite to be the next Celtic manager if Nancy is sacked. Kjetil Knutsen is right behind him and Robbie Keane is also in the race.
Favourite to be next Celtic manager named if Wilfried Nancy is sacked
Obviously, the best-case scenario for Celtic would be if things work out for Nancy and he turns things around at Parkhead. At the same time, we have to be realistic. From what we have seen so far, there is a decent chance that he might not.
Could we see O'Neill in the Parkhead hot seat for a third stint? His interim run was excellent, to say the least. Even with this weak squad, he was able to win seven out of the eight games he was in charge of.
If you are thinking about the long-term, Knutsen would be a phenomenal option. He has done a remarkable job at Bodo/Glimt and might have all the tools to repeat that at Celtic. Keane is a rising manager himself but bringing him in would be slightly riskier.
Then there are names that have not been named. If you ask us, the perfect appointment would be Ange Postecoglou. He has had his run in the Premier League. After back-to-back sackings at Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest, a return to Celtic might be just what he needs to rediscover his mojo. The Australian is perfect for the Hoops because of his ability to find quality players within the club's self-imposed budget constraints.