Defiant Wilfried Nancy does not fear the sack but the Parkhead faithful show fury after loss.
The Celtic boss insisted he did not fear dismissal, asserting, “The team is really close to changing our fortunes,” even after sliding worryingly close to the exit with a heavy defeat by their arch-rivals.
A Second-Half Collapse Sees Derby Defeat
The Hoops had led the visitors at the interval but a disastrous second period enabled Danny Röhl’s team to pull level on points with the reigning league title holders. The former MLS manager, who was appointed from Columbus Crew, has now overseen six losses in his first eight games.
“We are together at the club,” insisted Nancy.
Questioned about his own future, he replied: “It’s not on my mind. My focus is on discovering solutions to get the team to excel on the fine details.
Supporters' Anger Erupts
The fans displayed their anger – towards the board and manager – by protesting at Parkhead. The board are thought to be considering to return to the interim manager, who had a fruitful temporary stint last year, if the Frenchman were sacked.
“It’s the results [that leads to pressure]. So this is the reality for the moment. But in stating this is the reality, it doesn’t mean that I am a defeatist guy. No. What I mean we are on the cusp, extremely close to change the narrative.”
Nancy’s Persistent Belief
The coach continues to cling to the fact his team show good levels for 45 minutes at a time. In fact, if not for wastefulness in front of goal they would have been better than 1-0 up. “There were positives aside from the fact that we missed a second goal,” he said. “I accept that we lost, but I must remain balanced.
“The standard we had at stages was of top quality. This is the reality. I could not speak so positively if it was not the case. That is the reason, regarding outcomes, I noted this is the same story. That’s why I believe a change is coming to getting it right. But for the moment: the fine margins.”
“We produced many, many good things that we did, like today again. But now it’s about performing for 90 minutes. My message would not be the same. This is why I am convinced we’re going to be able to turn things around.”
Opposition Reaction Stance
Rangers manager played down talk of a title charge in spite of what seemed like a huge result. “We take it game by game, then we can really build up momentum,” he said. “The faith in the team is excellent.”
