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The Celtic boss insisted he was not afraid of the sack, maintaining, “We are really close to a turnaround,” even after sliding worryingly close to being fired with a convincing setback against the Ibrox side.

A Second-Half Meltdown Sees Derby Defeat

The Hoops had led the visitors at half-time but a second-half capitulation let the Gers to pull level on points with the defending league title holders. The former MLS manager, who was brought in from the MLS, has now been in charge for six losses in eight fixtures.

“We are together at the club,” stated the manager.

Questioned about his own future, the 48-year-old replied: “It’s not on my mind. I concentrate on discovering solutions to get the team to be good on the fine details.

Supporters' Anger Outside Parkhead

Celtic’s support made their feelings clear – towards the board and manager – in their hundreds at Parkhead. Club directors would be most likely to return to the interim manager, who enjoyed a successful caretaker period before Nancy was hired, if the Frenchman were sacked.

“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. So this is the situation for the moment. However by saying this is the reality, I am not saying that I am pessimistic. Not at all. My point is we are on the cusp, extremely close to turn things around.”

Nancy’s Persistent Belief

The coach continues to cling to the fact the side play well for 45 minutes at a time. For instance, if not for poor finishing they would have been better than 1-0 up. “There were positives other than the fact that we haven’t scored a second goal,” he said. “I accept that we lost, but it's important to stay balanced.

“The level we had at stages was really, really, really high. This is the reality. I could not talk like that if it was different. Therefore, when it comes to wins, I mentioned it's a repeating pattern. That’s why I said that we are nearly there to things turning around. 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 outlook would change if it was not the case. That’s why I am a big believer we’re going to be able to fix this.”

The Rangers Boss Response

Rangers manager played down talk of a serious challenge even after what appeared to be a huge result. “One match at a time, and we can gradually build a challenge,” he said. “The confidence in the squad is outstanding.”