Defiant Wilfried Nancy shows no fear of being fired however Celtic fans unleash fury following loss.
The Celtic boss declared he did not fear losing his job, maintaining, “We are very near to changing our fortunes,” in the wake of edging perilously close to the chopping block with a heavy defeat by the Ibrox side.
A Second-Half Capitulation Results in Old Firm Defeat
The Hoops were ahead their oldest rivals at the break but a disastrous second period allowed Rangers to pull level on points with the defending league title holders. The French coach, who was hired from the MLS, has now presided over six defeats in his first eight fixtures.
“There is unity with the board,” stated Nancy.
Questioned about his own future, Nancy said: “That’s not my focus. I concentrate on finding ways to get the team to excel on the fine details.
Protest On Display
Celtic’s support made their feelings clear – towards the board and manager – by gathering at full time. The board are reportedly likely to bring back the interim manager, who enjoyed a successful caretaker period before Nancy was hired, if Nancy departs.
“It’s the results [that leads to pressure]. That is the reality for the moment. However by saying this is the reality, that is not a sign that I am a defeatist guy. Not at all. What I mean we are really close, imminently close to reverse our form.”
“Really, Really Close”
Nancy continues to cling to the fact Celtic can perform strongly for a half at a time. Indeed, but for wastefulness in front of goal they might have been more than 1-0 up. “I saw enough except the fact that we didn't take a second goal,” he said. “I acknowledge that we lost, but I have also to be objective.
“The level we had at certain moments was of top quality. That happened. And I would not talk like that if it was not the case. That is the reason, regarding outcomes, I noted it's a repeating pattern. That’s why I said that we are really close to things turning around. Right now: details, details, details.”
“There were a lot of encouraging signs that we did, once more. However it’s about sustaining it. My outlook would not be if it was not the case. This is why I firmly believe we’re going to be able to fix this.”
Opposition Reaction Outlook
Rangers manager played down talk of a championship push in spite of what seemed like a huge result. “We take it game by game, so we can really build up momentum,” he said. “The faith in the team is excellent.”
