Unbowed Celtic's manager insists he is not worried about dismissal but the Parkhead faithful display fury after loss.
The Celtic boss stated he was not afraid of dismissal, claiming, “I believe we are really close to changing our fortunes,” in the wake of sliding worryingly close to being fired with a heavy setback against the Ibrox side.
A Second-Half Capitulation Leads to Derby Defeat
Celtic had led the visitors at the break but a collapse after the break allowed Rangers to draw level on points with the defending Scottish Premiership champions. The French coach, who was hired from the MLS, has now overseen six setbacks in his first eight games.
“The board and I are united with the board,” insisted the manager.
Asked directly about whether he was concerned, Nancy responded: “It’s not on my mind. I concentrate on finding ways to aid my players to improve on small moments.
Protest On Display
The fans voiced their fury – aimed at the hierarchy – by gathering at full time. The board are reportedly likely to re-appoint the interim manager, who steered the club during a caretaker period before Nancy was hired, if Nancy departs.
“It’s the results [that leads to pressure]. So this is the truth for the moment. However in stating this is the reality, it doesn’t mean that I am pessimistic. Absolutely not. The message is we are really close, really, really close to reverse our form.”
“Really, Really Close”
Nancy continues to cling to the fact Celtic play well for a half at a time. In fact, but for missed chances they would have been more than 1-0 up. “The performance had merit other than the fact that we haven’t scored our chances,” he said. “I acknowledge that we lost, but it's important to stay fair.
“The level we had at stages was really, really, really high. That happened. And I would not say that if it was different. That is the reason, regarding outcomes, I said this is the same story. That’s why I believe we are nearly there to things turning around. But for the moment: the fine margins.”
“There were a lot of encouraging signs that we did, as was the case today. But now comes down to performing for 90 minutes. My outlook would not be the same. That’s why I am a big believer we will manage to fix this.”
Opposition Reaction Response
The victorious boss was cautious about a serious challenge in spite of what appeared to be a landmark win. “We take it game by game, and we can develop something here,” he said. “The faith in the team is excellent.”
