Martin O’Neill was swiftly ushered back into Celtic Park after a nightmare spell under the former Columbus Crew boss

Celtic’s brief and chaotic era under Wilfried Nancy has been laid bare, with claims from inside the dressing room painting a picture of confusion, frustration and a complete lack of direction.

Former Hearts and Hibs midfielder Michael Stewart has revealed he was told by Celtic players that Nancy failed to offer clear instructions, leaving the squad in what he described as a dressing-room “shambles.”

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A 33-Day Nightmare Comes to an End

Nancy managed just two wins from eight games during a disastrous 33-day tenure before being dismissed. His exit followed a frantic 24 hours at Celtic Park, as Dermot Desmond issued another SOS call to Martin O’Neill.

The short reign saw:

• Premier Sports Cup silverware slip away

• Celtic fall six points behind Premiership leaders Hearts

• A damaging defeat to Rangers, which proved to be the final straw

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“No Instructions” and Tactical Confusion

Speaking on BBC Sportsound, Stewart insisted the Celtic squad were left completely in the dark as Nancy rolled out his controversial 3-4-3 system.

“I think instinctively we all just assume there were these magnificent instructions that were being given,” Stewart said.
“But I am led to believe that there was just no instructions.”

According to Stewart, the issue wasn’t over-complication — it was a total lack of information.

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Change Without Clarity

Stewart argued that had the system remained largely unchanged, the squad’s quality might have papered over the cracks. Instead, wholesale changes only deepened the confusion.

“There was basically a lack of information. And when you couple it with the whole system being changed… that is when everything breaks down.”

He added that attempting to overhaul the team’s approach and then face the league leaders just days later — without clarity — bordered on arrogance.

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“Asking Players to Do Things They Can’t Do”

Stewart acknowledged the players were not blameless but stressed their pedigree should not be ignored.

“You are asking players to do different things, and asking players to do things they can’t do — I have heard that so much as well.”

He reminded listeners this is a squad that has

dominated Scottish football for much of the last decade, dismissing any suggestion the players simply couldn’t grasp the manager’s ideas.

“These are top-class players. I don’t think it’s a message that’s been too complicated — I think it’s the exact opposite.”

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Dressing Room Verdict: “Shambles”

When pressed on exactly what he had heard from inside the camp, Stewart didn’t hold back.

“Shambles, basically,” he said.
“They didn’t know what he wanted.”

A damning assessment — and one that explains why Celtic’s hierarchy moved quickly to bring a familiar figure back through the doors.