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The under-pressure manager insisted he did not fear losing his job, asserting, “We are very near to things turning around,” in the wake of edging perilously close to being fired with a heavy setback against their arch-rivals.

A Second-Half Collapse Results in Derby Loss

The home side were ahead Rangers at the break but a second-half capitulation enabled Rangers to draw level on points with the current league title holders. Nancy, who was appointed from Columbus Crew, has now been in charge for six losses in eight fixtures.

“There is unity at the club,” said the manager.

Asked directly about whether he was concerned, he responded: “It’s not on my mind. I concentrate on working out methods to get the team to be good on the fine details.

Protest Erupts

The fans voiced their fury – towards the hierarchy – in their hundreds at Parkhead. Club directors are reportedly likely to return to the former boss, who had a fruitful interim spell last year, if Nancy departs.

“It’s the results [that leads to pressure]. And that’s the reality for the moment. However in stating this is the reality, it doesn’t mean that I am giving up. Absolutely not. What I mean we are really close, really, really close to change the narrative.”

Nancy’s Persistent Belief

He continues to cling to the fact Celtic can perform strongly for one half at a time. For instance, were it not for poor finishing they would have been greater than 1-0 up. “The performance had merit aside from the fact that we missed our chances,” he said. “I know that we lost, but it's important to stay balanced.

“The performance we had at times was of top quality. That is a fact. And I would not say that if it was not the case. But that’s why, when it comes to wins, I mentioned we've seen this before. For that reason I said that a change is coming to things turning around. Currently: small things.”

“I saw plenty of positives that we did, as was the case today. However comes down to performing for 90 minutes. My message would change if it was not the case. Therefore I am a big believer we will manage to get back on track.”

Röhl’s Cautious Outlook

Danny Röhl played down talk of a serious challenge even after what appeared to be a landmark win. “We take it game by game, so we can gradually build momentum,” he said. “The belief in the team is immense.”