Unbowed Wilfried Nancy insists he is not worried about being fired yet Celtic fans unleash anger following defeat.
Wilfried Nancy insisted he was not afraid of losing his job, claiming, “I believe we are really close to things turning around,” despite sliding worryingly close to the chopping block with a heavy loss to their arch-rivals.
A Second-Half Capitulation Results in Old Firm Loss
Celtic had led the visitors at the interval but a collapse after the break allowed the Gers to draw level on points with the defending Scottish Premiership champions. The former MLS manager, who was brought in from Columbus Crew, has now been in charge for six defeats in his first eight games.
“The board and I are united with the board,” insisted the manager.
Pressed on the speculation, Nancy replied: “I don’t think about it. I concentrate on working out methods to get the team to excel on the fine details.
Fan Fury Outside Parkhead
Celtic’s support voiced their fury – directed at the board and manager – by protesting outside the stadium. The hierarchy are thought to be considering to re-appoint the former boss, who enjoyed a successful temporary stint before Nancy was hired, if the Frenchman were sacked.
“It’s the results [that leads to pressure]. So this is the situation for the moment. Yet when I say this is the reality, that is not a sign that I am a defeatist guy. Not at all. My point is we are really close, extremely close to reverse our form.”
“Really, Really Close”
The coach highlights the fact Celtic play well for one half at a time. Indeed, but for wastefulness in front of goal they could have been greater than 1-0 up. “I saw enough aside from the fact that we missed our chances,” he said. “I acknowledge that we lost, but it's important to stay balanced.
“The standard we had at stages was really, really, really high. That happened. I could not talk like that if it was not the case. Therefore, regarding outcomes, I said this is the same story. For that reason I said that a change is coming to things turning around. Right now: details, details, details.”
“There were many, many good things that we did, as was the case today. The issue now comes down to sustaining it. My outlook would not be the same. This is why I firmly believe we will manage to turn things around.”
The Rangers Boss Stance
The victorious boss was cautious about a championship push despite what seemed like a landmark win. “We take it game by game, then we can really build up a challenge,” he said. “The faith in the team is immense.”
