Bullish Nancy insists he is not worried about dismissal yet the Parkhead faithful display fury after derby defeat.

The Celtic boss declared he had no concerns about losing his job, maintaining, “We are extremely close to changing our fortunes,” despite moving dangerously close to being fired with a heavy setback against Rangers.

A Second-Half Capitulation Leads to Derby Disaster

Celtic were ahead their oldest rivals at the interval but a collapse after the break allowed Rangers to draw level on points with the current league title holders. Nancy, who was brought in from Columbus Crew, has now presided over six setbacks in his first eight fixtures.

“The board and I are united with the board,” insisted Nancy.

Questioned about the speculation, the 48-year-old said: “That’s not my focus. I think about finding ways to help my team to excel on the fine details.

Protest On Display

The fans displayed their anger – towards the board and manager – by protesting at Parkhead. The board would be most likely to re-appoint the former boss, who had a fruitful caretaker period previously, if the Frenchman were sacked.

“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. And that’s the truth for the moment. However when I say that’s how it is, I am not saying that I am pessimistic. Absolutely not. The message is the turnaround is near, extremely close to reverse our form.”

Focus on the Details

He remains focused on the fact Celtic play well for 45 minutes at a time. Indeed, if not for wastefulness in front of goal they could have been greater than 1-0 up. “I saw enough other than the fact that we missed more goals,” he said. “I acknowledge that we lost, but I must remain balanced.

“The performance we had at stages was exceptionally high. That happened. And I would not say that if it was different. But that’s why, regarding outcomes, I said it's a repeating pattern. Which is why I believe we are really close to getting it right. Currently: details, details, details.”

“We produced a lot of encouraging signs that we did, like today again. The issue now comes down to performing for 90 minutes. My message would be different if it was not the case. Therefore I am convinced we’re going to be able to fix this.”

The Rangers Boss Response

Danny Röhl refused to contemplate a serious challenge even after what appeared to be a statement victory. “Step by step, so we can develop a challenge,” he said. “The faith in the group is outstanding.”