Unbowed Wilfried Nancy does not fear being fired however the Parkhead faithful display anger after derby defeat.
Wilfried Nancy insisted he did not fear losing his job, asserting, “The team is extremely close to things turning around,” in the wake of sliding worryingly close to the exit with a heavy defeat by Rangers.
Another Collapse Leads to Derby Disaster
The home side had led Rangers at the break but a collapse after the break let Danny Röhl’s team to draw level on points with the current league title holders. The former MLS manager, who was brought in from Columbus Crew, has now presided over six losses in his first eight matches.
“We are together at the club,” stated the manager.
Pressed on whether he was concerned, Nancy replied: “It’s not on my mind. I concentrate on discovering solutions to help my team to be good on small moments.
Protest On Display
Celtic’s support displayed their anger – directed at the board and manager – in their hundreds at Parkhead. Club directors would be most likely to bring back the former boss, who enjoyed a successful temporary stint previously, if the Frenchman were sacked.
“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. That is the reality for the moment. But when I say this is the reality, that is not a sign that I am giving up. Not at all. The message is the turnaround is near, really, really close to turn things around.”
Nancy’s Persistent Belief
He continues to cling to the fact Celtic can perform strongly for one half at a time. In fact, if not for missed chances they would have been better than 1-0 up. “I saw enough except the fact that we missed our chances,” he said. “I accept that we lost, but it's important to stay balanced.
“The performance we had at certain moments was exceptionally high. That happened. I could not talk like that if it was untrue. Therefore, in terms of results, I noted it's a repeating pattern. Which is why I said that we are really close to a shift in fortunes. Right now: details, details, details.”
“We produced plenty of positives that we did, once more. However is consistency. My narrative would change the same. Therefore I am a big believer we will manage to turn things around.”
Opposition Reaction Stance
Danny Röhl played down talk of a championship push even after what felt like a statement victory. “We take it game by game, then we can develop something here,” he said. “The confidence in the team is immense.”
