It’s game day as we get set to welcome New Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy to Paraidse…
Celtic Manager Wilfried Nancy Celtic Team Training and press conference, Lennoxtown 05 December 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock
Sunday morning and we’re getting for Celtic v Hearts at Paradise this afternoon, the top two sides in the country going head to head with an outright place at the top of the table very much at stake.
It’s a highly anticipated fixture, one we are all naturally looking forward too, and Celtic Park will no doubt be rocking to the absolute core. There’s also the fact that it will be Wilfried Nancy’s first game in charge as our new Celtic manager, and we are all as curious to see what the Frenchman will bring to the club in terms of the way the team plays and further down the line the signings he brings in if that indeed is going to be down to him.
The second the team line up is announced, it will be severely magnified, and it will give us a glimpse of what to expect from the new boss going forward.
Celtic Manager Wilfried Nancy Celtic Team Training and press conference, Lennoxtown 05 December 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock
And when the match starts we’ll see if he immediately adopt his favoured 3-4-3 or will that wait until his ideas have been filtered into the squad. There is only so much that Nancy can do in just one training session. Or will he stick with what the players are currently familiar with due to the significance of not just today, but our next run of games which sees us take on Roma in the Europa League on Thursday night, and St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup Final a week today.
I think it will be the latter, and Wilfried will take a few pointers from the likes of Stevie Woods and Gavin Strachan as he aims to get to know his players whilst installing his ideologies at the same time. He’s also had a conversation with Martin O’Neill and of course he has been watching the Celtic games over the past month or so.
Celtic Manager Wilfried Nancy Celtic Team Training and press conference, Lennoxtown 05 December 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock
Change in playing style will come with time, but don’t expect an instant one. Instead expect more of the same in the way Martin O’Neill had the team playing. If everyone is fit – and Daizen Maeda declared himself ready to play in his retail appearance with Jota which was released yesterday – then expect the same team as started against Dundee on Wednesday night.
Nancy will have to rotate his squad in December and indeed beyond that, however today he’s start from where Martin left off and then make changes as he sees fit.
Ahead of the match the Celtic support will march from St Mary’s Church in the Calton to Celtic Park and will support the Green Brigade’s Christmas Foodbank appeal on the way to Paradise.
Join us at our origins at St. Mary’s
Football without fans is nothing pic.twitter.com/qjU0rGP1Qr
— Celtic Fans Collective (@CFC_Collective) December 5, 2025
For anyone joining the Fan March tomorrow, please note that several roads around Glasgow Green will be closed until 1pm. A collection van will also be stationed at St Mary’s to receive foodbank donations. https://t.co/Y8Frmrr1tq
— Celtic Fans Collective (@CFC_Collective) December 6, 2025
"…for a people and a cause"
The Green Brigade annual foodbank collection will take place before Celtic v Hearts, Sun 7 Dec. https://t.co/qg24Qv63TQ
— North Curve Celtic (@NCCeltic) December 4, 2025
Daizen Maeda of Celtic Celtic Team Training , Lennoxtown – 05 December 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock
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