Here’s everything that Wilfried Nancy had to say at Fir Park last night after Celtic’s damaging 2-0 defeat to Motherwell. Celtic were truly dreadful all around the park and the blame lies with the Celtic Board who have to go and they have to take their manager with them.

Despondent Celts. Motherwell v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. 30 December 2025 Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

From Munich to Motherwell, Celtic’s Decline and Fall. Time for these two to go and take their manager with them…

Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay, Motherwell v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. 30 December 2025 Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: How do you reflect on that?

Wilfried Nancy: “Tough night, tough night. We faced a good team, collectively really good. I knew that today could be a bit difficult because of the way they play and where we are at this moment. I think the first half, we had imbalances at certain moments because we were in between to press and to be patient and to jump. We conceded the first goal on the throw-in and the cross. I think that we can do better on this one.

Time to go Tisdale and take your pal Wilfried and his coaches with you. 

Chris McKay and Paul Tisdale, Motherwell v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. 30 December 2025 Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

“We didn’t create too much. The second half, we were more of a collective to jump and to win the ball. This is what we did better. We had a few opportunities but it was difficult to score. After that, the game was about an offensive transition for them because we missed a few passes, we missed a few things technically at certain moments. This will be the reality for tonight.”

Q: You’ve said after previous defeats that you’ve seen positives in the games. Have you seen any positives at all tonight?

Wilfried Nancy: “Tonight was a tough one. This is the reality. I think that I saw positive stuff defensively in the second half. The way we were able to cope with the way they imbalanced us in the first half, we did better in the second half. After that, it was not a good game for us tonight because we missed many, many things. This is the reality for tonight.”

Q: You made three changes at the break, what was the thinking behind that?

Wilfried Nancy and his Despondent Celts. Motherwell v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. 30 December 2025 Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Wilfried Nancy: “It was planned because Daizen [Maeda] and Kieran [Tierney] have played a lot of minutes. In the beginning, I wanted them to be on the bench but also I wanted them to be part of this game because they are important. That’s why the idea was to give them only 45 minutes for this game.”

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Q: So you planned to take them off at 45 minutes?

Wilfried Nancy: “Yes, because they were tired in the situation. They ran a lot and they’ve done more sprints since we came in. They did a lot of sprints. Physically, I have a concern with that. I don’t want them to be injured. I needed to make choices regarding that.”

Wilfried Nancy. Motherwell v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. 30 December 2025 Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: That’s five losses in seven. Do you feel under pressure at all? Concerned?

Wilfried Nancy: “As a manager, personally, this is not something that I want and this is not something that we want. After that, the pressure doesn’t change the way I think about this because we know that we have to do better. But for the moment, this is a bit the reality. I knew that it could be like that. We had good games at certain moments. Tonight is a difficult one. The last game, the first half was really good. The second half could have been better. So this is a bit the reality.”

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Q: Are you confident that you can turn all this around?

Wilfried Nancy: “Yes, I’m confident because, again, I had to make choices tonight regarding the team that I made. Also, we have a few players away regarding the situation. So, again, I’m confident with where we want to go. The reality is, for the moment, this is for this game. This was a tough game. It was difficult for us in this game. But I think that we’re going to get better.”

Wilfried Nancy. Motherwell v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. 30 December 2025 Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: The game this weekend against (the)Rangers, do you feel this could be defining for your future?

Wilfried Nancy: “No, not at all. Each game for me is important, and for the team is important. I don’t think about my future. I think about what I do now and what I need to do to improve the team and what we need to do also to improve the team. This is the way I think.

Q: Do you understand why supporters would be concerned? Some good things in the first half at Livingston, and tonight so few positives. They’re not seeing progress?

Wilfried Nancy: “Progress, there is progress. But tonight, again, where we are, and the opposition that we faced was difficult. This is the reality. I’m not accepting that, I’m not saying I accept that. I’m saying that this is a fact. Now, what we need to do to improve that, this is something that we’re going to work on, and we’ve been working on since the beginning.”

Wilfried Nancy. Motherwell v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. 30 December 2025 Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Are you confident Paul Tisdale and the recruitment team can get you the players you need to rebuild the squad?

Wilfried Nancy: “Yes, we are working on that. This is the idea.”

Q: Wilfried, you said you thought this was a tough game but the Celtic fans look at this as Celtic against Motherwell. Motherwell have a tiny budget compared to Celtic. So is that your stance on things, that this was always going to be a tough game for Celtic? They don’t expect it to be a tough game. Can you understand that?

Wilfried Nancy: “Yes, I understand that. But for me, there is a context, there is a fact. This is the reality. I’m not saying that I’m an underdog. I told you that before. When we play a game, we want to win the game. But the reality at this moment is, for this game, we didn’t have a good game. After that, we can talk about the budget. Yes, I know where I am. I know the club that I work with. I know that perfectly. I can understand the concern. But at this moment, this is the reality.”

Wilfried Nancy. Motherwell v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. 30 December 2025 Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

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Q: You mentioned progress. Were there signs of progress tonight?

Wilfried Nancy: “No, we had progress at a certain moment, yes. But again, this is not enough regarding what we wanted to do. So again, for this game, it’s not a good game. This is the first time that, since I’m here, that we struggled a lot. And this is the reality for this game. Now, previously, we had good moments, good opportunities. We had also good games at certain moments. We are working to be more consistent and we’re going to do certain things in the future to be also more consistent. But for the moment, yes, I can understand the concern, but this is the reality.

Q: Do you understand the enormity of Saturday against (the)Rangers as well? How massive it is and the enormity of the game in the context that you talk about?

Wilfried Nancy: “It’s a rivalry. I know Celtic against Rangers. I know that this is a rivalry game. I know what it means And we play this game. I do this job also for that, to play this kind of game. And we play, we want to play with passion. We know that, what does it mean to play a rivalry game? So again, tonight is tonight. We’re going to have more days to prepare the game and to rest also and to face this team.”

Despondent Celts. Motherwell v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. 30 December 2025 Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: On the evidence of tonight, Wilfried, do you feel this is a team that’s fighting for their manager?

Wilfried Nancy: “Yes. Tonight, it was difficult at certain moments, yes, but I have no concern with that.”

Q: Is Saturday a must-win game?

Wilfried Nancy: “Yes, like every game.”

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