Bullish Nancy shows no fear of the sack however the Parkhead faithful display anger after defeat.
Wilfried Nancy insisted he did not fear dismissal, maintaining, “I believe we are extremely close to changing our fortunes,” even after edging perilously close to the exit with a heavy defeat by Rangers.
A Second-Half Meltdown Sees Derby Defeat
Celtic were in front their oldest rivals at the break but a disastrous second period allowed Rangers to pull level on points with the defending Scottish Premiership champions. Nancy, who was hired from Columbus Crew, has now been in charge for six setbacks in his first eight fixtures.
“There is unity with the board,” insisted the manager.
Asked directly about whether he was concerned, he replied: “That’s not my focus. I think about finding ways to help my team to be good on details.
Fan Fury Erupts
Celtic’s support voiced their fury – directed at the hierarchy – in their hundreds at full time. The hierarchy would be most likely to re-appoint the interim manager, who enjoyed a successful interim spell last year, should a change be made.
“It’s the results [that leads to pressure]. And that’s the situation for the moment. Yet by saying that’s how it is, it doesn’t mean that I am a defeatist guy. Absolutely not. What I mean we are on the cusp, really, really close to reverse our form.”
“Really, Really Close”
He highlights the fact Celtic show good levels for one half at a time. Indeed, if not for missed chances they could have been more than 1-0 up. “There were positives other than the fact that we didn't take a second goal,” he said. “I accept that we lost, but it's important to stay objective.
“The performance we had at certain moments was of top quality. That happened. I could not talk like that if it was untrue. Therefore, when it comes to wins, I noted we've seen this before. For that reason I feel we are nearly there to a shift in fortunes. Right now: small things.”
“We produced many, many good things that we did, once more. However is consistency. My outlook would not be if it was not the case. Therefore I am a big believer we will manage to get back on track.”
Opposition Reaction Response
Rangers manager played down talk of a championship push in spite of what appeared to be a landmark win. “We take it game by game, so we can gradually build a challenge,” he said. “The belief in the group is excellent.”
