Ange disciple Robertson says Nancy needs time to get it right just like Aussie boss did

WHOEVER coined the phrase Angeball could take some convincing that Willyball may be just around the corner.

- BY GORDON PARKS

But it will come as some comfort for under-fire boss Wilfried Nancy that Ange Postecoglou suffered an inauspicious start before racking up five trophies at Celtic.

Three straight competitive games without a win under the Australian included two defeats, one against a newly-promoted Hearts, that prompted an agitated Ange to say: "The board don't want me to fail, I think people are trying to make out there's some disconnect there."

The rest as they say is history.

Five defeats in his opening seven games, and without a clean-sheet to his name, have placed Nancy under intense pressure.

The noise from unconvinced Hoops fans will rise to a crescendo if another failure is suffered this afternoon against Rangers.

Being granted patience during the implementation of a new football philosophy isn't a blessing that the Frenchman will be granted.

But former Celt Scott Robertson recalls the first days of Postecoglou and can see comparisons.

A back-three, inverted fullbacks, a high-line approach, quick passes, and building play from the back is the risk and reward that takes the Notts County midfielder back to Lennoxtown in summer 2021.

He said: "I was at Celtic when Ange came in as manager and we did preseason under him.

I remember how that season started. It was anything but perfect and took us two to three months until we fully managed to get into the swing of it.

"Nancy has come in midway through a season so it's only natural that it's going to be so much more difficult to implement a new system and get it fully functioning.

"Ange had the full preseason and it still required time for the team to settle into what he demanded, so nothing is instant.