Defiant Celtic's manager shows no fear of dismissal yet Celtic fans display anger following loss.
The under-pressure manager stated he was not afraid of the sack, asserting, “We are extremely close to things turning around,” even after sliding worryingly close to the chopping block with a convincing setback against the Ibrox side.
A Second-Half Collapse Sees Old Firm Disaster
The home side were in front their oldest rivals at the interval but a second-half capitulation enabled Rangers to pull level on points with the current Scottish Premiership champions. Nancy, who was brought in in December, has now presided over six setbacks in his last eight fixtures.
“The board and I are united at the club,” said the manager.
Pressed on whether he was concerned, he said: “That’s not my focus. I concentrate on finding ways to get the team to be good on small moments.
Protest On Display
Hundreds of supporters made their feelings clear – directed 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 interim spell before Nancy was hired, should a change be made.
“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. So this is the situation for the moment. However by saying that’s how it is, I am not saying that I am giving up. Absolutely not. The message is we are on the cusp, really, really close to turn things around.”
“Really, Really Close”
He highlights the fact the side play well for a half at a time. Indeed, if not for poor finishing they might have been more than 1-0 up. “The performance had merit except the fact that we didn't take a second goal,” he said. “I acknowledge that we lost, but it's important to stay balanced.
“The performance we had at times was really, really, really high. That happened. I wouldn't say that if it was different. Therefore, in terms of results, I said this is the same story. For that reason I feel a change is coming to things turning around. But for the moment: the fine margins.”
“We produced many, many good things that we did, like today again. The issue now it’s about sustaining it. My outlook would not be if it was not the case. Therefore I am convinced we will manage to fix this.”
Opposition Reaction Stance
Danny Röhl was cautious about a serious challenge even after what seemed like a huge result. “One match at a time, then we can really build up momentum,” he said. “The belief in the team is immense.”