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The under-pressure manager declared he did not fear the sack, claiming, “I believe we are very near to a turnaround,” even after moving dangerously close to being fired with a convincing loss to their arch-rivals.

A Second-Half Meltdown Leads to Derby Disaster

Celtic had led their oldest rivals at half-time but a collapse after the break enabled Danny Röhl’s team to draw level on points with the current Scottish Premiership champions. The former MLS manager, who was brought in from the MLS, has now presided over six losses in his first eight games.

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

Asked directly about the speculation, Nancy replied: “It’s not on my mind. My focus is on discovering solutions to aid my players to be good on details.

Supporters' Anger Outside Parkhead

The fans voiced their fury – aimed at the dugout and directors – in their hundreds outside the stadium. Club directors are thought to be considering to return to the interim manager, who steered the club during a caretaker period last year, should a change be made.

“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. That is the situation for the moment. Yet by saying this is the reality, that is not a sign that I am pessimistic. Absolutely not. The message is the turnaround is near, really, really close to change the narrative.”

“Really, Really Close”

Nancy highlights the fact Celtic show good levels for a half at a time. Indeed, if not for missed chances they could have been more than 1-0 up. “I saw enough other than the fact that we haven’t scored more goals,” he said. “I accept that we lost, but I must remain objective.

“The standard we had at times was really, really, really high. That is a fact. I could not say that if it was not the case. But that’s why, regarding outcomes, I said we've seen this before. Which is why I said that we are nearly there to a shift in fortunes. Right now: small things.”

“I saw plenty of positives that we did, once more. But now comes down to sustaining it. My message would change if it was not the case. This is why I am a big believer we’re going to be able to turn things around.”

Opposition Reaction Response

Danny Röhl played down talk of a title charge in spite of what seemed like a landmark win. “One match at a time, and we can gradually build something here,” he said. “The belief in the group is outstanding.”