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The Celtic boss declared he was not afraid of the sack, maintaining, “We are really close to things turning around,” even after edging perilously close to the chopping block with a convincing defeat by the Ibrox side.

A Second-Half Meltdown Results in Derby Disaster

Celtic had led Rangers at half-time but a collapse after the break enabled the Gers to pull level on points with the defending Scottish Premiership champions. Nancy, who was brought in from Columbus Crew, has now presided over six setbacks in his first eight games.

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

Questioned about whether he was concerned, the 48-year-old responded: “It’s not on my mind. I think about working out methods to get the team to excel on the fine details.

Protest Erupts

Celtic’s support voiced their fury – towards the dugout and directors – in their hundreds at full time. Club directors would be most likely to return to Martin O’Neill, who had a fruitful interim spell previously, if Nancy departs.

“It’s the results [that leads to pressure]. So this is the reality for the moment. However when I say this is the reality, that is not a sign that I am pessimistic. Not at all. The message is we are on the cusp, extremely close to change the narrative.”

Focus on the Details

Nancy highlights the fact his team can perform strongly for 45 minutes at a time. Indeed, but for wastefulness in front of goal they might have been more than 1-0 up. “I saw enough aside from the fact that we haven’t scored a second goal,” he said. “I accept that we lost, but I must remain objective.

“The level we had at times was exceptionally high. This is the reality. And I would not talk like that if it was not the case. That is the reason, regarding outcomes, I mentioned we've seen this before. For that reason I feel we are nearly there to a shift in fortunes. But for the moment: details, details, details.”

“There were many, many good things that we did, as was the case today. But now comes down to consistency. My message would change the same. This is why I am a big believer we’re going to be able to fix this.”

Röhl’s Cautious Stance

Danny Röhl refused to contemplate a championship push even after what felt like a huge result. “One match at a time, and we can gradually build a challenge,” he said. “The belief in the squad is immense.”