Defiant Nancy shows no fear of the sack but the Parkhead faithful display fury following defeat.

Wilfried Nancy declared he did not fear losing his job, maintaining, “I believe we are really close to things turning around,” despite sliding worryingly close to the chopping block with a heavy defeat by their arch-rivals.

Another Meltdown Results in Old Firm Disaster

The Hoops had led Rangers at the break but a collapse after the break let Rangers to pull level on points with the current Scottish Premiership champions. Nancy, who was appointed from the MLS, has now presided over six losses in his last eight matches.

“We are together with the board,” insisted the manager.

Asked directly about whether he was concerned, he said: “I don’t think about it. My focus is on discovering solutions to help my team to excel on small moments.

Fan Fury On Display

The fans made their feelings clear – aimed at the hierarchy – in their hundreds outside the stadium. The board are reportedly likely to return to the former boss, who had a fruitful caretaker period last year, if the Frenchman were sacked.

“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. And that’s the truth for the moment. Yet when I say that’s how it is, that is not a sign that I am pessimistic. No. The message is the turnaround is near, really, really close to reverse our form.”

Focus on the Details

Nancy remains focused on the fact Celtic play well for one half at a time. Indeed, if not for wastefulness in front of goal they could have been greater than 1-0 up. “There were positives other than 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 stages was exceptionally high. That happened. And I would not talk like that if it was not the case. But that’s why, when it comes to wins, I noted it's a repeating pattern. Which is why I said that we are really close to a shift in fortunes. But for the moment: details, details, details.”

“I saw a lot of encouraging signs that we did, once more. But now comes down to performing for 90 minutes. My outlook would be different if I didn't believe it. That’s why I am convinced we’re going to be able to fix this.”

Opposition Reaction Response

Danny Röhl played down talk of a serious challenge in spite of what appeared to be a statement victory. “We take it game by game, so we can develop momentum,” he said. “The faith in the group is immense.”