Unbowed Wilfried Nancy shows no fear of dismissal however Celtic fans unleash fury after defeat.
The Celtic boss declared he did not fear losing his job, maintaining, “We are extremely close to changing our fortunes,” despite moving dangerously close to the chopping block with a heavy loss to the Ibrox side.
Another Capitulation Leads to Derby Defeat
Celtic had led their oldest rivals at the break but a second-half capitulation allowed the Gers to pull level on points with the reigning league title holders. The French coach, who was appointed from Columbus Crew, has now been in charge for six setbacks in his last eight fixtures.
“We are together with the board,” said Nancy.
Questioned about the speculation, the 48-year-old said: “It’s not on my mind. I concentrate on discovering solutions to get the team to be good on details.
Fan Fury Erupts
Hundreds of supporters displayed their anger – towards the hierarchy – in their hundreds outside the stadium. The board would be most likely to re-appoint the interim manager, who enjoyed a successful interim spell before Nancy was hired, if the Frenchman were sacked.
“It’s the results [that leads to pressure]. That is the truth for the moment. Yet when I say this is the reality, it doesn’t mean that I am giving up. No. My point is the turnaround is near, imminently close to reverse our form.”
Nancy’s Persistent Belief
Nancy remains focused on the fact the side can perform strongly for 45 minutes at a time. In fact, but for missed chances 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 I have also to be balanced.
“The performance we had at times was exceptionally high. This is the reality. And I would not say that if it was not the case. Therefore, in terms of results, I mentioned we've seen this before. Which is why I believe we are really close to getting it right. But for the moment: small things.”
“There were plenty of positives that we did, as was the case today. However is consistency. My outlook would not be the same. Therefore I firmly believe we’re going to be able to turn things around.”
Röhl’s Cautious Response
The victorious boss played down talk of a title charge despite what appeared to be a landmark win. “One match at a time, so we can gradually build a challenge,” he said. “The confidence in the group is outstanding.”
