Unbowed Nancy does not fear being fired but supporters display wrath after defeat.
Wilfried Nancy declared he had no concerns about losing his job, maintaining, “We are very near to a turnaround,” in the wake of moving dangerously close to being fired with a convincing loss to the Ibrox side.
A Second-Half Meltdown Leads to Old Firm Defeat
Celtic had led their oldest rivals at half-time but a disastrous second period allowed Danny Röhl’s team to pull level on points with the reigning Scottish Premiership champions. The former MLS manager, who was brought in from the MLS, has now presided over six setbacks in eight fixtures.
“The board and I are united with the board,” said Nancy.
Asked directly about whether he was concerned, he replied: “That’s not my focus. I think about finding ways to aid my players to excel on small moments.
Supporters' Anger On Display
Celtic’s support voiced their fury – aimed at the board and manager – by gathering at Parkhead. Club directors are reportedly likely to return to Martin O’Neill, who enjoyed a successful temporary stint previously, if Nancy departs.
“The outcomes [that leads to pressure]. And that’s the situation for the moment. But when I say that’s how it is, it doesn’t mean that I am a defeatist guy. Absolutely not. The message is we are on the cusp, extremely close to reverse our form.”
“Really, Really Close”
Nancy remains focused on the fact the side show good levels for a half at a time. For instance, if not for poor finishing they might have been better than 1-0 up. “There were positives aside from the fact that we didn't take our chances,” he said. “I accept that we lost, but I must remain objective.
“The level we had at stages was of top quality. That happened. I could not speak so positively if it was untrue. But that’s why, regarding outcomes, I mentioned it's a repeating pattern. Which is why I said that we are nearly there to getting it right. But for the moment: the fine margins.”
“I saw a lot of encouraging signs that we did, as was the case today. The issue now it’s about sustaining it. My outlook would change the same. Therefore I firmly believe we will manage to fix this.”
The Rangers Boss Response
Rangers manager refused to contemplate a serious challenge despite what felt like a huge result. “Step by step, then we can develop something here,” he said. “The faith in the squad is excellent.”
