Celtic board ‘very keen’ to interview 48 y/o McKenna alternative

Who is going to be the new Celtic manager? Well, who knows!

Martin O’Neill remains in caretaker charge for now, having been parachuted in following Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation, winning three of four matches in charge to date, that Europa League hammering at the hands of Midtjylland the only blot on his copybook.

With no obvious front-runner for the job, and given that we’re in the middle of the season, could a left-field appointment be required?

Well, this was the case back in the summer of 2021 when, after seeing their Premiership streak of nine in a row come to an end, Ange Postecoglou was appointed completely out of nowhere, having only ever worked in his native Australia and Japan beforehand.

Despite this, and the widespread ridicule when he arrived in Glasgow, Postecoglou would go on to win five trophies across his two seasons in charge, thereby remaining, possibly, the most popular Celtic manager of modern times.

So, could another lesser-known name become the next Postecoglou, emphasising that he is the outstanding candidate for the vacancy, as opposed to the other front-runners?

Kieran McKenna to Celtic latest

Ever since Rodgers resigned, Kieran McKenna has been one of the names most frequently mentioned in terms of becoming the new Celtic manager.

As reported by Ewan Murray of the Guardian, he is a ‘leading candidate’ with the Ipswich Town boss boasting ‘longtime admirers’ on the Celtic board, while Sky Sports add that he is one of the names near the top of the club’s shortlist.

However, any approach would not be straightforward.

The 39-year-old is under contract in Suffolk until 2028 and Ipswich would surely demand a sizable compensation fee if they’re going to allow their most prized asset to depart.

McKenna, in his first-ever head coach role, worked miracles at Portman Road, guiding the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promotions, going from EFL League One to the Premier League in double quick time, the first time Ipswich had competed in England’s top-tier since 2002.

However, his team did really struggle to compete at the top level, winning just four Premier League matches all season, relegated with a whimper.

Right now, Ipswich are seventh in the EFL Championship, hammering Swansea 4-1 on Saturday, thereby sat just outside the play-off positions,

Before moving to Suffolk, McKenna worked as an assistant manager to José Mourinho and then Ole Gunnar Solskjær at Manchester United, so has some experience at an elite level, but many supporters remain unconvinced, so should the Celtic hierarchy target a more left-field coach who could be their new Postecoglou?

Celtic should appoint the new Postecoglou

According to a report by TEAMtalk on Wednesday evening, Wilfried Nancy, a man supporters may be very unfamiliar with, has been ‘officially invited’ for talks with the Hoops over the Parkhead vacancy.

It’s further reported that the Celtic board are ‘very keen’ to interview Nancy and could complete a deal by January should compensation be agreed, with the season in America, where he manages Columbus Crew, set to end this month.

So, who is he? Well, the Frenchman was named 2024 MLS coach of the year, but that does not begin to tell his story.

His first head coach role was with CF Montréal, staying in Québec for two seasons, before spending the last three years at Columbus Crew, enjoyed huge success in charge of both, as the table below documents.

First and foremost, if you’re not dialled into MLS, we’re guessing you’re probably not, it’s really difficult to properly put into words how impressive an achievement it is to finish 3rd in the overall standings, and second in the Eastern Conference, with Club de Foot Montréal.

Owner Joey Saputo essentially does not care about the team, meaning Montréal have one of the lowest budgets in Major League Soccer, finishing 28th, out of 30, this year, showing that Nancy can seriously elevate an underperforming side.

In Canada, Nancy succeeded Thierry Henry, after he resigned, and the Arsenal legend spoke glowingly about his former assistant during CBS’ Champions League coverage.

Nevertheless, Nancy’s true success has come since moving to Columbus Crew, winning MLS Cup at the end of his first year and then Leagues Cup last season, also leading the Black and Gold to the club’s first-ever CONCACAF Champions Cup Final, ousting two Mexican heavyweights along the way, before defeat to Pachuca.

The Crew’s 2025 season is now over, dumped out of the MLS play-offs by local rivals FC Cincinnati at the weekend, which may make him available, so could he soon swap Ohio for Glasgow?

Well, he has certainly earned rave reviews, with Joe Lowery praising his “patient possession” style of play which he believes is “so much fun to watch”, while Tom Bogert describes the Crew as “attractive” to watch and “courageous” on the ball.

Meantime, former USA striker Herculez Gomez notes that Nancy is “immensely respected”, adding that his style of play is “so pleasing to the eye”, boasting a clear philosophy featuring both possession and high pressing, comparing him to Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique.

Well, another high-profile manager that sounds reminiscent of is, well, Postecoglou and his now infamous, certainly in Premier League circles, Ange-ball.

As already mentioned, Postecoglou was a lesser-known name in British and European football prior to his arrival in Glasgow but, as he likes to remind everyone, he wins everywhere he goes, joining with a J League, multiple A-League titles and an AFC Asia Cup to his name, among other honours.

Well, the same can be said of Nancy, who created something of a dynasty in MLS, something that is so tough to do in a league that is so parity-focused.

Thus, just like Postecoglou, Nancy has the personality, the playing style and the will to win to succeed at Celtic, seemingly making him the ideal candidate to come in and lead the Hoops to a fifth successive Premiership title.