It has been more than 24 hours since Celtic’s disastrous defeat, yet Wilfried Nancy remains in charge at Parkhead.
Attention has now turned to figures such as Dermot Desmond, with supporters waiting to see whether those at the top of the club will act on the growing anger by removing their recently appointed head coach.
Saturday’s loss to Rangers felt like the breaking point for large sections of the fanbase, many of whom are demanding Nancy’s departure. For some, that view had already formed well before the Old Firm clash. As Hugh Keevins has pointed out, responsibility may lie with the individual who sanctioned Nancy’s appointment in the first place.
Speaking on Clyde 1, Keevins suggested that Desmond was the driving force behind bringing Nancy to Celtic, despite the apparent influence of Paul Tisdale in the process. If that is the case, any decision to dismiss the Frenchman would need Desmond’s approval.
Keevins explained that the board would effectively need to ask Desmond for permission before making such a move. He claimed that while he could not state it as fact, the prevailing belief is that Nancy was Desmond’s choice. He also referenced the breakdown in the relationship between Desmond and Brendan Rodgers, which ultimately led to Rodgers’ exit, underlining Desmond’s influence in major decisions.
According to Keevins, if Desmond wanted Nancy at the club, then he would also have to sign off on his removal. That, he suggested, is why an immediate decision was unlikely on the day of the defeat, with discussions expected to take place over the weekend.
The contrast with last season only adds to the frustration. Celtic were close to securing a Treble not long ago, yet now face the prospect of ending the campaign without a trophy. That is a scenario supporters have rarely had to contemplate over the past 20 years.
Keevins questioned whether Desmond would be prepared to stand by and allow standards to slip, arguing that it would be out of character for a businessman of his stature to watch the club drift backwards. In his view, the current situation is the result of a managerial decision that has gone badly wrong, and one that Celtic can ill afford to ignore.