Defiant Wilfried Nancy does not fear being fired yet the Parkhead faithful display wrath after loss.
The under-pressure manager declared he had no concerns about the sack, asserting, “The team is extremely close to a turnaround,” in the wake of edging perilously close to being fired with a convincing loss to the Ibrox side.
Another Collapse Leads to Derby Disaster
Celtic were in front the visitors at the break but a disastrous second period enabled Danny Röhl’s team to pull level on points with the current Scottish Premiership champions. The former MLS manager, who was brought in in December, has now overseen six losses in eight fixtures.
“There is unity at the club,” said the manager.
Pressed on the speculation, Nancy responded: “It’s not on my mind. I concentrate on finding ways to help my team to improve on small moments.
Protest Outside Parkhead
The fans displayed their anger – towards the dugout and directors – by gathering at Parkhead. The board would be most likely to re-appoint Martin O’Neill, who had a fruitful temporary stint last year, if the Frenchman were sacked.
“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. That is the situation for the moment. However when I say this is the reality, it doesn’t mean that I am pessimistic. Not at all. My point is we are on the cusp, really, really close to reverse our form.”
“Really, Really Close”
The coach continues to cling to the fact his team can perform strongly for a half at a time. In fact, were it not for wastefulness in front of goal they could have been greater than 1-0 up. “I saw enough aside from the fact that we didn't take more goals,” he said. “I know that we lost, but I must remain fair.
“The standard we had at stages was of top quality. That happened. And I would not talk like that if it was untrue. But that’s why, when it comes to wins, I mentioned we've seen this before. Which is why I believe a change is coming to getting it right. Right now: small things.”
“We produced plenty of positives that we did, once more. However comes down to consistency. My message would change the same. This is why I firmly believe the team can to get back on track.”
Opposition Reaction Stance
Danny Röhl played down talk of a serious challenge despite what seemed like a huge result. “We take it game by game, and we can develop momentum,” he said. “The confidence in the group is excellent.”
