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Wilfried Nancy declared he had no concerns about the sack, maintaining, “The team is extremely close to things turning around,” even after sliding worryingly close to being fired with a comprehensive defeat by the Ibrox side.

Another Capitulation Sees Derby Defeat

Celtic had led Rangers at half-time but a disastrous second period allowed Rangers to draw level on points with the reigning league title holders. The former MLS manager, who was hired from the MLS, has now been in charge for six defeats in his last eight games.

“The board and I are united with the board,” said the manager.

Questioned about the speculation, Nancy said: “That’s not my focus. I think about finding ways to get the team to be good on small moments.

Supporters' Anger On Display

Celtic’s support voiced their fury – directed at the dugout and directors – by gathering outside the stadium. The hierarchy would be most likely to return to the former boss, who steered the club during a temporary stint before Nancy was hired, if the Frenchman were sacked.

“It’s the results [that leads to pressure]. And that’s the reality for the moment. However in stating this is the reality, that is not a sign that I am pessimistic. Not at all. The message is we are on the cusp, imminently close to turn things around.”

Focus on the Details

Nancy continues to cling to the fact Celtic play well for one half at a time. In fact, if not for wastefulness in front of goal they could have been more than 1-0 up. “I saw enough except the fact that we didn't take a second goal,” he said. “I accept that we lost, but it's important to stay balanced.

“The performance we had at certain moments was of top quality. That is a fact. I could not talk like that if it was different. Therefore, in terms of results, I said it's a repeating pattern. Which is why I said that we are nearly there to things turning around. Right now: details, details, details.”

“I saw plenty of positives that we did, like today again. But now comes down to consistency. My message would not be the same. Therefore I am a big believer we will manage to turn things around.”

Röhl’s Cautious Outlook

Rangers manager was cautious about a championship push in spite of what seemed like a landmark win. “We take it game by game, and we can develop something here,” he said. “The faith in the group is excellent.”