League Cup final victory would ‘validate’ Celtic process – Wilfried Nancy

Nancy inherited a side that had won seven from eight matches under interim manager Martin O’Neill, but he stamped his own identity on the team from the start, switching to a back three against both Hearts and Roma.

With some players shoehorned into unfamiliar positions, Celtic have struggled to click in attack and were dismantled at the back by Roma on Thursday in a dominant first-half display.

Still, the former Columbus Crew head coach has seen enough to believe his system will come good.

“I watched the game and obviously we had a difficult moment, but we had also good moments,” he said

“This game for me was important because it gives me the possibility to set the standard regarding what we want to achieve and it was good to compare certain things [with Roma].

“After that, the standard, we have it already. The desire to compete, the desire to train well, the desire to improve, this is the standard.

“The desire also to do what it takes to have good performance, we have it. We have to be better in terms of execution, but we are on the right track.

“For one week, I can see good stuff. We need also to improve on certain things, but it will come.”

Given the two defeats leading into the cup final, Nancy admitted there will be a degree of doubt but dismissed the idea there was an added pressure on the game.

“It doesn’t change,” he added. “A final is a final, it’s not the same.

“Obviously the fact that we didn’t win the last two games, mentally we can have a bit of uncertainty.

“But we’re having a good discussion with the players and we know what we did well, we know what we need to improve and everything is clear.”