Defiant Nancy shows no fear of dismissal however supporters unleash fury following derby defeat.
Wilfried Nancy insisted he had no concerns about dismissal, claiming, “I believe we are extremely close to changing our fortunes,” despite edging perilously close to being fired with a comprehensive loss to their arch-rivals.
A Second-Half Capitulation Sees Derby Loss
Celtic were ahead the visitors at the break but a disastrous second period let Danny Röhl’s team to move level on points with the current Scottish Premiership champions. Nancy, who was brought in in December, has now presided over six defeats in his first eight fixtures.
“We are together with the board,” insisted Nancy.
Asked directly about his own future, he said: “I don’t think about it. I think about discovering solutions to get the team to be good on the fine details.
Protest Outside Parkhead
The fans voiced their fury – aimed at the hierarchy – by gathering outside the stadium. Club directors are reportedly likely to bring back Martin O’Neill, who had a fruitful caretaker period last year, if the Frenchman were sacked.
“It’s the results [that leads to pressure]. That is the truth for the moment. However in stating this is the reality, it doesn’t mean that I am giving up. No. My point is we are really close, imminently close to change the narrative.”
Nancy’s Persistent Belief
Nancy highlights the fact Celtic show good levels for a half at a time. Indeed, were it not for poor finishing they could have been more than 1-0 up. “There were positives other than the fact that we haven’t scored our chances,” he said. “I accept that we lost, but I must remain balanced.
“The performance we had at stages was of top quality. That is a fact. I could not speak so positively if it was different. Therefore, when it comes to wins, I mentioned we've seen this before. That’s why I believe we are really close to a shift in fortunes. But for the moment: the fine margins.”
“I saw a lot of encouraging signs that we did, once more. But now is performing for 90 minutes. My message would not be if I didn't believe it. This is why I am a big believer the team can to fix this.”
Röhl’s Cautious Stance
Rangers manager refused to contemplate a title charge even after what seemed like a huge result. “We take it game by game, and we can really build up momentum,” he said. “The confidence in the squad is immense.”