Bullish Nancy does not fear dismissal yet the Parkhead faithful unleash anger following loss.
Wilfried Nancy declared he did not fear dismissal, claiming, “The team is very near to things turning around,” despite sliding worryingly close to being fired with a heavy defeat by Rangers.
A Second-Half Meltdown Results in Derby Loss
The home side had led Rangers at the interval but a second-half capitulation enabled Danny Röhl’s team to move level on points with the current league title holders. Nancy, who was hired in December, has now been in charge for six defeats in eight games.
“There is unity at the club,” said Nancy.
Questioned about whether he was concerned, Nancy responded: “It’s not on my mind. I think about discovering solutions to get the team to improve on small moments.
Protest Erupts
Hundreds of supporters voiced their fury – directed at the board and manager – in their hundreds at full time. The hierarchy would be most likely to return to the interim manager, who enjoyed a successful caretaker period before Nancy was hired, if the Frenchman were sacked.
“It’s the results [that leads to pressure]. So this is the reality for the moment. Yet when I say that’s how it is, I am not saying that I am pessimistic. No. My point is the turnaround is near, imminently close to reverse our form.”
“Really, Really Close”
The coach remains focused on the fact Celtic show good levels for one half at a time. In fact, but for missed chances they could have been better than 1-0 up. “I saw enough except the fact that we haven’t scored more goals,” he said. “I acknowledge that we lost, but I must remain fair.
“The standard we had at certain moments was really, really, really high. That happened. I could not talk like that if it was different. But that’s why, regarding outcomes, I mentioned this is the same story. Which is why I said that a change is coming to things turning around. But for the moment: the fine margins.”
“There were a lot of encouraging signs that we did, once more. However it’s about sustaining it. My narrative would not be if I didn't believe it. Therefore I firmly believe we’re going to be able to turn things around.”
Röhl’s Cautious Outlook
Rangers manager played down talk of a title charge even after what seemed like a landmark win. “We take it game by game, so we can really build up something here,” he said. “The confidence in the team is immense.”
