Bullish Celtic's manager does not fear dismissal yet supporters unleash anger after loss.
The Celtic boss insisted he was not afraid of dismissal, asserting, “The team is very near to things turning around,” despite edging perilously close to being fired with a heavy defeat by Rangers.
Another Collapse Leads to Old Firm Defeat
The Hoops were in front their oldest rivals at the interval but a disastrous second period enabled the Gers to pull level on points with the defending league title holders. The former MLS manager, who was hired from the MLS, has now been in charge for six setbacks in his last eight fixtures.
“We are together with the board,” stated the manager.
Asked directly about his own future, he responded: “I don’t think about it. My focus is on working out methods to get the team to be good on the fine details.
Supporters' Anger On Display
The fans displayed their anger – aimed at the board and manager – by protesting at full time. The hierarchy would be most likely to return to Martin O’Neill, who enjoyed a successful interim spell previously, if the Frenchman were sacked.
“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. And that’s the situation for the moment. Yet when I say that’s how it is, that is not a sign that I am a defeatist guy. Absolutely not. My point is we are really close, imminently close to turn things around.”
Focus on the Details
The coach continues to cling to the fact Celtic can perform strongly for a half at a time. Indeed, were it not for wastefulness in front of goal they would have been more than 1-0 up. “The performance had merit aside from the fact that we missed our chances,” he said. “I know that we lost, but I must remain fair.
“The standard we had at times was of top quality. That happened. I wouldn't speak so positively if it was different. Therefore, when it comes to wins, I said this is the same story. For that reason I said that a change is coming to getting it right. But for the moment: the fine margins.”
“There were plenty of positives that we did, like today again. The issue now is performing for 90 minutes. My message would be different if it was not the case. Therefore I am a big believer we’re going to be able to turn things around.”
Röhl’s Cautious Outlook
The victorious boss played down talk of a championship push despite what seemed like a landmark win. “We take it game by game, and we can really build up something here,” he said. “The confidence in the group is excellent.”
