Unbowed Celtic's manager shows no fear of being fired but the Parkhead faithful show fury following derby defeat.
The under-pressure manager declared he had no concerns about dismissal, maintaining, “We are really close to things turning around,” in the wake of sliding worryingly close to being fired with a heavy loss to their arch-rivals.
A Second-Half Capitulation Leads to Derby Defeat
The home side were in front the visitors at the interval but a disastrous second period allowed Rangers to move level on points with the reigning Scottish Premiership champions. The former MLS manager, who was brought in in December, has now been in charge for six losses in his first eight matches.
“The board and I are united at the club,” said Nancy.
Questioned about whether he was concerned, Nancy responded: “That’s not my focus. I think about finding ways to get the team to excel on details.
Supporters' Anger Outside Parkhead
The fans voiced their fury – towards the board and manager – by gathering at full time. The hierarchy would be most likely to bring back the interim manager, who steered the club during a interim spell previously, should a change be made.
“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. And that’s the reality for the moment. Yet by saying this is the reality, I am not saying that I am pessimistic. Absolutely not. What I mean we are on the cusp, really, really close to turn things around.”
“Really, Really Close”
The coach highlights the fact Celtic show good levels for one half at a time. Indeed, were it not for wastefulness in front of goal they could have been better than 1-0 up. “There were positives other than the fact that we missed our chances,” he said. “I know that we lost, but it's important to stay balanced.
“The standard we had at times was exceptionally high. That is a fact. I could not say that if it was untrue. Therefore, regarding outcomes, I said it's a repeating pattern. For that reason I feel we are nearly there to getting it right. Right now: the fine margins.”
“There were plenty of positives that we did, like today again. The issue now comes down to sustaining it. My message would not be the same. This is why I am convinced we’re going to be able to get back on track.”
Röhl’s Cautious Outlook
Danny Röhl played down talk of a championship push even after what seemed like a landmark win. “We take it game by game, then we can really build up something here,” he said. “The faith in the squad is excellent.”
