When Wilfried Nancy said after Celtic’s 2–1 loss to table topping Hearts that “I’m not about losing or winning.
"I’m about having a good performance,” many supporters of rival clubs could scarcely hide their smirks.
That kind of post-match talk - philosophy, process, potential - often rings hollow when the scoreline is against you.
That’s precisely how things unravelled for Russell Martin at Rangers.
Appointed as head coach in June 2025, Martin enjoyed early backing from the board: a big summer overhaul, significant transfers, and a three-year contract.
But despite the financial backing and expectation, results repeatedly failed to match the ambition.
Martin’s side struggled for consistency: only one win from seven Premiership games – Rangers worst start since 1978 - poor European outings, and defensive frailties all mounted up.
When supporters began to demand his exit, the same philosophical reasoning (“we’re building,” “style comes before substance”) looked increasingly tone-deaf.
Nancy’s post-match interview mirrors many of those rhetorical choices.
Praising first-half “good moments,” lamenting poor execution, pointing to tiredness and lack of preparation - these all sound like quotes from Martin’s songbook during his short Ibrox tenure.
From a rival’s perspective, Nancy’s words are a gift.
For fans who value tangible results above nuance, phrases like “good performance” after a home defeat sound like managerial spin - and a sign that a manager is prioritising ideals over grit.
That was the mood when Martin’s reign unravelled: plenty of talk with little-to-no action.
Nancy’s admission that the side “could have done better in the final pass” or “rushed after the second goal” offers further ammunition.
It suggests vulnerability, indecision and perhaps a lack of readiness to deliver under pressure - all traits that previously cost Rangers with a coach using a similar rhetoric.
If Celtic’s new boss continues down a path of focusing on process, adjustment, and potential without matching results it risks repeating Martin’s fate at Ibrox: fan disillusionment, rising pressure, and questions about managerial suitability for a high-stakes environment.
For observers - especially those sympathetic to Rangers - this is not just a moment of schadenfreude.
It’s a cautionary tale: in Scottish football, rhetoric only carries so far. When results don’t follow, the honeymoon ends fast.
Nancy may well mean well. But in a league where expectations are immediate and ruthless, his words already echo a recent managerial failure at Rangers. And for many fans, that’s all the ammunition they need.