Next Celtic Manager Odds: Wilfried Nancy And Hoops In Crisis After Latest Loss
Wilfried Nancy has made a terrible start to life as Celtic manager, prompting betting sites to open a market on potential replacements just a couple of weeks into his reign.
A 2-1 midweek defeat at Dundee United means the Frenchman has lost all four matches in charge of the Hoops since replacing Brendan Rodgers, including a shocking Scottish League Cup final defeat to St Mirren after which many supporters were heard chanting "sack the board".
Those fans partly got their wish on Wednesday night as Celtic announced chairman Peter Lawwell would be stepping down at the end of the year because of "intolerable threats and abuse" which have "alarmed and dismayed" his family.
Fans turned on Nancy at the full-time whistle at Tannadice after which former Celtic striker Chris Sutton told Sky Sports: "When a full fanbase turns against a manager, that's the end. And I don't think we're too far away from that."
Celtic are now six points behind Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts with a game in hand, but Old Firm rivals Rangers are now closing in ahead of their meeting at Parkhead in the first match of the new year.
Will Nancy be given the chance to resurrect the club's fortunes or is it the end of the road? We take a look at the main candidates to replace the former Columbus Crew manager.
Post match reaction from the manager.#DUTDCEL | #CelticFC🍀
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) December 17, 2025
O'Neill Favourite For Rapid Return
Martin O'Neill revealed he would have stayed at Parkhead had the board asked him, but could he make an unexpected return?
The Northern Irishman stepped in for a second spell as Celtic manager when Rodgers resigned, winning seven of his eight games in temporary charge, including a 3-1 win against arch rivals Rangers in the League Cup semi-final and a late win at St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.
Many fans are beginning to wish that O'Neill, who won seven trophies during his first spell with the Bhoys in the early 2000s, was still at the helm.
O'Neill could be back sooner than he thinks and is 4/5 in the next Celtic manager odds.
Next Celtic Manager Odds:
Manager | Odds | Probability |
|---|---|---|
Martin O'Neill | 4/5 | 55.6% |
Gary O'Neil | 3/1 | 25% |
Robbie Keane | 4/1 | 20% |
Shaun Maloney | 5/1 | 16.7% |
Lee Carsley | 6/1 | 14.3% |
Kjetil Knutsen | 6/1 | 14.3% |
Kevin Muscat | 7/1 | 12.5% |
Craig Bellamy | 8/1 | 11.1% |
Kieran McKenna | 9/1 | 10% |
Vitor Pereira | 12/1 | 7.7% |
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | 14/1 | 6.7% |
O'Neil Second In Line
Gary O'Neil remains out of work since leaving Wolves a year ago, but turned down the chance to return to the club in November.
The 42-year-old has proved his qualities in his previous roles, including his time at Bournemouth.
O'Neil has been linked with several clubs since his 16-month reign at Molineux came to an end, but for some reason he is still looking for the right role.
The former Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and Norwich midfielder is the 3/1 second favourite to become the next manager of Celtic.
Keane A Double Title Winner
Robbie Keane's stock continues to rise as a manager and he endeared himself further to Celtic fans across the globe by overseeing a 2-1 win for Ferencvaros against Rangers in the Europa League which maintained their unbeaten start after six games.
The former Republic of Ireland international has won titles in Israel and Hungary with Maccabi Tel Aviv and his current club, who are involved in a close title race in the Nemzeti Bajnoksag I.
Keane played for six Premier League clubs, including two spells with Tottenham, who loaned out the Irishman to Celtic for a stint in 2010, during which he scored 12 goals in 16 appearances.
The ex-Liverpool striker would find it hard to resist the team he supports and is regarded as a 4/1 chance on betting apps to be installed as Celtic's next manager.
Celtic's Next Five Games:
Comp | Date | Fixture | ||
SPFL | Dec 21 | Celtic | Vs | Aberdeen |
SPFL | Dec 27 | Livingston | Vs | Celtic |
SPFL | Dec 30 | Motherwell | Vs | Celtic |
SPFL | Jan 03 | Celtic | Vs | Rangers |
SPFL | Jan 10 | Celtic | Vs | Dundee Utd |
Maloney And Carsley In The Mix
Shaun Maloney acted as O'Neill's assistant when Rodgers walked away from the club for a second time and is priced at 5/1 to get the job.
The 42-year-old won five titles as a player in the first of two spells with Celtic in the 2000s and remarkably went on to win the FA Cup with Wigan, the club he went on to manage 10 years later after a short spell with Hibs.
Lee Carsley is also in the frame at 6/1, but would he be prepared to leave his role as coach of England's U21s after guiding them to back-to-back Euro success?
Knutsen Back As A Candidate
Kjetil Knutsen was the overwhelming favourite with a couple of bookmakers in the early days after Rodgers' resignation, but was 14/1 in the build-up to Nancy's appointment.
However, the Norwegian is now 6/1 to become Celtic's next manager.
For the last seven seasons, Knutsen has been with Bodo/Glimt who have won the Eliteserien in four of the last five years and are a point behind leaders Viking with two games remaining, so another title is a possibility.
Remarkably, Bodo/Glimt also reached the Europa League semi-final in 2024/25.
Knutsen turned down the chance to speak to Ajax a couple of years ago and he has been linked as a potential candidate for the Leeds job should Daniel Farke get the boot, so he appears to be a man in demand.
Elsewhere, former Rangers defender Kevin Muscat, head coach at Chinese Super League club Shanghai Port, is 7/1, with Wales boss Craig Bellamy priced at 8/1.
Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna is 9/1, ex-Wolves manager Vitor Pereira 12/1 and former Manchester United chief Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 14/1.
Does Wilfried Nancy deserve more time or should the Celtic board make a change? Comment below or vote in our poll above.
