Nancy entering a 'storm' - but signs suggest he'll relish the challenge

I'm clinging to the faint hope the internet has been down in Columbus, Ohio for the past three to four months and that somehow Wilfried Nancy has no idea of the storm he's about to walk into.

From any angle you choose, Celtic are a club in turmoil: a state of flux, uncertainty, and arguably the most tumultuous spell of our modern era.

On that basis alone - before we even get to his football credentials - you'd hope the 48-year-old is cut from stern enough cloth to shoulder the expectation that comes with the top job at Celtic Park.

Thankfully, all signs suggest he is.

Like most of us, I knew next to nothing about the Frenchman a couple of weeks ago. But since then I've read the articles, watched the videos, sifted through the quotes, and just about everything paints the soon-to-be former Columbus Crew head coach in glowing terms.

Yes, translating his Stateside success to Celtic will be the biggest test of his relative short managerial career to date, but nothing about him suggests he'll shy away from it.

If anything, he sounds like a man who'll relish the challenge.

With Celtic now in advanced talks with Nancy, its just a matter of time before he touches down in Glasgow and several outlets are reporting a start date of Monday, 1 December.

That, in itself, feels like one of modern football's stranger quirks - allowing an incoming manager to begin his tenure before a more favourable fixture (say, Dundee at home) rather than diving straight into Rotterdam followed by Easter Road.

I suppose it makes sense. But I can't say I'm a fan.

If he's the right man, get him in ASAP. Let him roll up his sleeves and get to work before what is a relentless run of fixtures between now and the New Year.

Encouragingly, Nancy looks set to bring several key backroom staff members with him - long-time assistant Kwame Ampadu and analyst Max Chalier among them - which should help him put his own stamp on a squad currently short of what's required.

And if Nancy can pick up where Martin O'Neill has left off domestically, throw in a decent Europa League result against Roma, and retain the League Cup in his opening weeks, it might just give him the momentum needed heading into what absolutely must be a busy January window.

If the powers that be believe Nancy is the man to take this club forward, then it's time to stop playing games, back him properly, and let's see where this journey takes us.

Tino can be found at The Celtic Exchange