Unbowed Nancy shows no fear of dismissal yet Celtic fans unleash anger following derby defeat.
The Celtic boss declared he was not afraid of dismissal, asserting, “I believe we are really close to a turnaround,” despite edging perilously close to the chopping block with a convincing loss to their arch-rivals.
A Second-Half Meltdown Sees Old Firm Defeat
The Hoops were ahead Rangers at half-time but a collapse after the break let Rangers to pull level on points with the defending league title holders. The former MLS manager, who was appointed in December, has now overseen six setbacks in his last eight matches.
“There is unity at the club,” insisted Nancy.
Asked directly about whether he was concerned, he replied: “I don’t think about it. My focus is on discovering solutions to help my team to excel on the fine details.
Fan Fury On Display
The fans voiced their fury – aimed at the dugout and directors – in their hundreds at Parkhead. The hierarchy are thought to be considering to re-appoint the former boss, who steered the club during a interim spell previously, if Nancy departs.
“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. And that’s the truth for the moment. But by saying this is the reality, that is not a sign that I am giving up. Absolutely not. The message is the turnaround is near, extremely close to turn things around.”
Nancy’s Persistent Belief
Nancy remains focused on the fact his team can perform strongly for a half at a time. Indeed, if not for wastefulness in front of goal they would have been more than 1-0 up. “There were positives except the fact that we missed more goals,” he said. “I accept that we lost, but it's important to stay balanced.
“The standard we had at certain moments was exceptionally high. That is a fact. I wouldn't talk like that if it was untrue. Therefore, when it comes to wins, I noted it's a repeating pattern. For that reason I said that we are nearly there to getting it right. But for the moment: small things.”
“We produced a lot of encouraging signs that we did, once more. The issue now is consistency. My message would change if I didn't believe it. This is why I am a big believer the team can to fix this.”
Opposition Reaction Stance
The victorious boss refused to contemplate a serious challenge despite what appeared to be a huge result. “One match at a time, and we can develop momentum,” he said. “The faith in the group is excellent.”
