Dec 19 (Reuters) - Wilfried Nancy has endured the worst start of any manager at Celtic after losing his first four games but former Arsenal forward Thierry Henry has called for patience and said he is confident his fellow Frenchman can turn things around.
Celtic's 2-1 defeat by Dundee United on Wednesday marked their longest losing run since the 1977-78 season and the Glasgow side, who have won 13 of the last 14 league titles, are second in the current campaign, six points behind leaders Hearts, though with a game in hand.
Their defeat by St Mirren in last week's League Cup final prompted calls for Nancy's dismissal but Henry, who had Nancy as his assistant at CF Montreal, told the BBC it was difficult to impose a philosophy and an identity on a club quickly.
"Right now it's too early, and I do think he can turn it around. He is a great guy and has a great mind," he said on Thursday.
"It's not working at the moment and obviously it doesn't look great. But he's a friend of mine, so I am going to be biased.
"You don't want any coach to lose their job that early. It doesn't make sense to me."
On Wednesday, the club's chairman Peter Lawwell said he was leaving by the end of the month, blaming abuse and threats during a tough season.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Nashik, India; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
