Bullish Celtic's manager insists he is not worried about the sack but the Parkhead faithful show anger after defeat.
The under-pressure manager declared he was not afraid of dismissal, asserting, “The team is extremely close to changing our fortunes,” despite sliding worryingly close to being fired with a convincing setback against their arch-rivals.
A Second-Half Meltdown Results in Derby Disaster
The Hoops were in front the visitors at half-time but a second-half capitulation let Rangers to move level on points with the reigning Scottish Premiership champions. The former MLS manager, who was hired from the MLS, has now overseen six defeats in his first eight fixtures.
“The board and I are united with the board,” stated the manager.
Asked directly about his own future, Nancy said: “That’s not my focus. I concentrate on discovering solutions to aid my players to excel on the fine details.
Fan Fury On Display
Hundreds of supporters made their feelings clear – aimed at the board and manager – by gathering at full time. The hierarchy would be most likely to return to Martin O’Neill, who enjoyed a successful caretaker period previously, should a change be made.
“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. So this is the situation for the moment. Yet in stating that’s how it is, I am not saying that I am a defeatist guy. Absolutely not. My point is the turnaround is near, imminently close to change the narrative.”
Focus on the Details
He remains focused on the fact his team show good levels for 45 minutes at a time. Indeed, if not for missed chances they could have been greater than 1-0 up. “There were positives except the fact that we haven’t scored more goals,” he said. “I accept that we lost, but I have also to be objective.
“The performance we had at stages was exceptionally high. That happened. I wouldn't speak so positively if it was different. Therefore, regarding outcomes, I said it's a repeating pattern. Which is why I said that we are nearly there to getting it right. Right now: small things.”
“There were many, many good things that we did, once more. But now comes down to sustaining it. My narrative would be different if I didn't believe it. That’s why I am a big believer we’re going to be able to fix this.”
Opposition Reaction Outlook
Danny Röhl played down talk of a championship push in spite of what seemed like a huge result. “Step by step, and we can develop a challenge,” he said. “The belief in the team is immense.”