Wilfried Nancy is facing heavy criticism, and few would argue it is undeserved.
Celtic’s form under his leadership has been dreadful, and the strain of managing the country’s biggest club is clearly showing. However, Chris Sutton believes the focus should not rest solely on the manager. In his view, several players were already delivering unacceptable performances before Nancy arrived, and that standard has carried on despite the change in the dugout.
Kasper Schmeichel bore the brunt of supporter anger after the defeat to Rangers on Saturday, but Sutton also turned his attention to Auston Trusty for his role in the collapse.
The defending on display, Sutton argued, was far below the level expected at Celtic. While Nancy can be criticised for tactical issues, Sutton felt some of the individual errors were simply indefensible.
Speaking on Sky Sports Football, Sutton was particularly scathing about Trusty’s role in the second Rangers goal, scored by Youssef Chermiti in the 59th minute. He suggested the defender should have been substituted immediately, such was the nature of the mistake.
Sutton also had harsh words for Schmeichel, who he believes has struggled throughout the season. He described the goalkeeper as looking off the pace and said the third goal conceded summed up Celtic’s problems.
Sutton said Celtic have been leaking goals constantly under Nancy and that every ball into the box feels like a major threat. He stressed that the issue goes beyond the head coach, pointing out that some players are nowhere near the required standard. He added that Schmeichel has been poor all season and labelled the third goal as unacceptable. On Trusty, Sutton questioned how a player at Celtic could allow a forward to drift in from a wide position and get a clear shot on goal.
The criticism naturally raises questions about changes to the back line. Calls to drop Schmeichel are nothing new, with many supporters previously arguing that Viljami Sinisalo should be given the number one role. The young goalkeeper impressed during a run of games last season when Schmeichel was unavailable.
Schmeichel was restored under Brendan Rodgers, but a costly error in the Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen was followed by further mistakes, leaving little confidence in his form. Replacing him with Sinisalo would not require any transfer activity.
The situation at centre-back appears more complicated. Liam Scales is an option from the bench and has arguably offered more than Trusty at times this season. Even so, Scales has divided opinion, and the wider feeling is that Celtic’s defence needs significant rebuilding. Whether that overhaul happens with or without Nancy remains to be seen.