Unbowed Wilfried Nancy shows no fear of being fired but the Parkhead faithful unleash fury after loss.
The under-pressure manager declared he was not afraid of dismissal, maintaining, “I believe we are extremely close to a turnaround,” despite sliding worryingly close to being fired with a comprehensive loss to Rangers.
Another Capitulation Sees Derby Defeat
The home side were in front the visitors at the interval but a collapse after the break let Rangers to pull level on points with the reigning Scottish Premiership champions. The former MLS manager, who was appointed from Columbus Crew, has now been in charge for six losses in his last eight fixtures.
“The board and I are united with the board,” said the manager.
Pressed on whether he was concerned, he replied: “It’s not on my mind. My focus is on discovering solutions to get the team to excel on the fine details.
Fan Fury On Display
The fans voiced their fury – directed at the hierarchy – in their hundreds outside the stadium. Club directors are thought to be considering to re-appoint Martin O’Neill, who steered the club during a temporary stint before Nancy was hired, if the Frenchman were sacked.
“The outcomes [that leads to pressure]. That is the situation for the moment. However when I say that’s how it is, it doesn’t mean that I am pessimistic. Not at all. My point is the turnaround is near, really, really close to turn things around.”
“Really, Really Close”
Nancy continues to cling to the fact his team can perform strongly for a half at a time. In fact, if not for missed chances they could have been more than 1-0 up. “The performance had merit aside from the fact that we didn't take a second goal,” he said. “I acknowledge that we lost, but I have also to be balanced.
“The level we had at stages was of top quality. That happened. And I would not speak so positively if it was different. That is the reason, regarding outcomes, I said this is the same story. For that reason I feel a change is coming to a shift in fortunes. Currently: small things.”
“There were a lot of encouraging signs that we did, once more. The issue now it’s about 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.”
The Rangers Boss Stance
The victorious boss refused to contemplate a serious challenge in spite of what felt like a statement victory. “We take it game by game, so we can really build up momentum,” he said. “The confidence in the squad is excellent.”
