Erik Sviatchenko has expressed his 'surprise' at Wilfried Nancy's ill-fated Celtic tenure, having had a first-hand experience of his style in America.
The centre-back, who now plays for Houston Dynamo, came up against Nancy's Columbus Crew side before his move to Scotland last December.
However, the Frenchman only lasted eight games, with his sixth defeat against Rangers proving to be the final straw. “I was surprised that it only lasted 33 days. It was a really short period. That’s insane. It was a quick fling in that sense," said Sviatchenko to CeltsAreHere.
“Of course, the quality he brought at Columbus Crew in MLS was very high. I played against them, and the level they were playing at was very good. So it wasn’t a case of someone coming in without a pedigree.
“He’s a character who wants to do things his way. He came in and changed the formation quickly and played players out of position in a short space of time.”
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The former Denmark international continued, “During the season, when you need to win games, that can be difficult. It’s easy to look back and say he should have made smaller changes and waited until pre-season to fully implement his ideas. But sometimes you trust what has worked for you before. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
“I spoke to a former teammate who worked with him at Columbus. He said he was a great coach, but also very set in his way of doing things. It was more like his way or nothing. When you’re in a period where results are needed, and you’re trying to make big changes, it can be difficult.
“As a player, you need clarity. Are we trying to win now, or are we building something? There were results that shouldn’t have happened, and that has continued at times.
"It can feel like something is weighing on the players.”
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