Bullish Celtic's manager insists he is not worried about the sack but supporters show fury after loss.
The Celtic boss insisted he had no concerns about the sack, claiming, “I believe we are really close to a turnaround,” in the wake of moving dangerously close to the exit with a heavy setback against their arch-rivals.
A Second-Half Meltdown Results in Derby Loss
Celtic were in front their oldest rivals at the interval but a disastrous second period enabled the Gers to move level on points with the reigning league title holders. The former MLS manager, who was brought in from Columbus Crew, has now presided over six defeats in his last eight fixtures.
“The board and I are united at the club,” insisted the manager.
Pressed on the speculation, he responded: “That’s not my focus. My focus is on discovering solutions to aid my players to be good on details.
Supporters' Anger Erupts
The fans voiced their fury – towards the hierarchy – by protesting outside the stadium. The hierarchy would be most likely to bring back Martin O’Neill, who steered the club during a temporary stint previously, should a change be made.
“The outcomes [that leads to pressure]. And that’s the truth for the moment. Yet by saying this is the reality, that is not a sign that I am a defeatist guy. Absolutely not. My point is we are really close, imminently close to reverse our form.”
Nancy’s Persistent Belief
He remains focused on the fact Celtic show good levels for 45 minutes at a time. Indeed, were it not for wastefulness in front of goal they might have been greater 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 must remain balanced.
“The standard we had at certain moments was of top quality. This is the reality. I could not talk like that if it was not the case. That is the reason, in terms of results, I mentioned it's a repeating pattern. That’s why I said that we are nearly there to getting it right. But for the moment: details, details, details.”
“There were plenty of positives that we did, like today again. But now comes down to consistency. My outlook would not be the same. That’s why I am convinced we will manage to turn things around.”
Opposition Reaction Stance
Danny Röhl was cautious about a championship push despite what felt like a landmark win. “One match at a time, then we can develop something here,” he said. “The confidence in the group is immense.”
