Bullish Celtic's manager shows no fear of the sack yet supporters display wrath following derby defeat.
Wilfried Nancy insisted he had no concerns about losing his job, claiming, “The team is very near to changing our fortunes,” even after edging perilously close to the exit with a heavy loss to the Ibrox side.
Another Meltdown Leads to Old Firm Loss
Celtic were in front their oldest rivals at the interval but a collapse after the break allowed the Gers to move level on points with the defending Scottish Premiership champions. Nancy, who was hired in December, has now presided over six losses in his first eight matches.
“We are together at the club,” said the manager.
Pressed on his own future, Nancy replied: “It’s not on my mind. My focus is on working out methods to aid my players to excel on details.
Supporters' Anger Outside Parkhead
Celtic’s support displayed their anger – aimed at the hierarchy – by gathering at full time. The board are reportedly likely to re-appoint the interim manager, who enjoyed a successful interim spell before Nancy was hired, if Nancy departs.
“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. So this is the situation for the moment. Yet when I say that’s how it is, I am not saying that I am pessimistic. Absolutely not. The message is the turnaround is near, imminently close to change the narrative.”
“Really, Really Close”
The coach remains focused on the fact Celtic play well for 45 minutes at a time. For instance, if not for wastefulness in front of goal they could have been greater than 1-0 up. “There were positives aside from the fact that we haven’t scored our chances,” he said. “I know that we lost, but it's important to stay fair.
“The level we had at certain moments was of top quality. This is the reality. And I would not speak so positively if it was not the case. Therefore, in terms of results, I said it's a repeating pattern. That’s why I believe we are nearly there to things turning around. But for the moment: small things.”
“We produced many, many good things that we did, once more. However it’s about consistency. My narrative would not be the same. That’s why I am convinced we will manage to fix this.”
The Rangers Boss Response
Danny Röhl refused to contemplate a title charge despite what appeared to be a landmark win. “We take it game by game, then we can gradually build a challenge,” he said. “The faith in the group is excellent.”
