Bullish Celtic's manager insists he is not worried about being fired but the Parkhead faithful display anger after derby defeat.

The under-pressure manager insisted he had no concerns about the sack, claiming, “The team is extremely close to a turnaround,” in the wake of sliding worryingly close to the exit with a convincing defeat by the Ibrox side.

Another Collapse Leads to Derby Loss

The home side were in front their oldest rivals at half-time but a disastrous second period enabled the Gers to draw level on points with the current league title holders. Nancy, who was brought in from Columbus Crew, has now overseen six setbacks in eight games.

“There is unity at the club,” said Nancy.

Questioned about the speculation, he responded: “I don’t think about it. I concentrate on finding ways to aid my players to improve on small moments.

Protest On Display

Hundreds of supporters displayed their anger – directed at the board and manager – in their hundreds at full time. The board would be most likely to re-appoint Martin O’Neill, who enjoyed a successful caretaker period last year, if Nancy departs.

“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. So this is the truth for the moment. However in stating this is the reality, I am not saying that I am a defeatist guy. Absolutely not. The message is the turnaround is near, extremely close to turn things around.”

Nancy’s Persistent Belief

The coach continues to cling to the fact the side play well for a half at a time. Indeed, but for missed chances they might have been better than 1-0 up. “I saw enough aside from the fact that we didn't take our chances,” he said. “I accept that we lost, but I must remain fair.

“The performance we had at certain moments was really, really, really high. That is a fact. And I would not speak so positively if it was untrue. Therefore, when it comes to wins, I mentioned this is the same story. For that reason I said that we are nearly there to a shift in fortunes. Right now: the fine margins.”

“There were plenty of positives that we did, as was the case today. However it’s about performing for 90 minutes. My outlook would not be if it was not the case. Therefore I firmly believe the team can to turn things around.”

Opposition Reaction Stance

Danny Röhl played down talk of a championship push even after what felt like a landmark win. “One match at a time, so we can develop a challenge,” he said. “The belief in the group is outstanding.”

Travis Parker
Travis Parker

Mira Chen is a tech journalist and digital strategist with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and innovation trends across Europe.