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Wilfried Nancy declared he was not afraid of losing his job, maintaining, “We are extremely close to things turning around,” even after edging perilously close to the chopping block with a heavy defeat by their arch-rivals.

A Second-Half Collapse Results in Derby Disaster

Celtic had led their oldest rivals at half-time but a collapse after the break let Danny Röhl’s team to move level on points with the defending Scottish Premiership champions. The former MLS manager, who was hired from Columbus Crew, has now presided over six defeats in his last eight matches.

“We are together at the club,” stated Nancy.

Asked directly about whether he was concerned, he said: “It’s not on my mind. I concentrate on discovering solutions to get the team to be good on details.

Supporters' Anger Erupts

The fans voiced their fury – towards the board and manager – by gathering at Parkhead. Club directors are reportedly likely to return to the former boss, who enjoyed a successful temporary stint previously, should a change be made.

“The outcomes [that leads to pressure]. So this is the truth for the moment. Yet when I say this is the reality, that is not a sign that I am giving up. No. The message is we are on the cusp, extremely close to turn things around.”

“Really, Really Close”

He remains focused on the fact Celtic can perform strongly for 45 minutes at a time. Indeed, were it not for poor finishing they could have been more than 1-0 up. “There were positives aside from the fact that we missed more goals,” he said. “I accept that we lost, but I have also to be balanced.

“The standard we had at certain moments was exceptionally high. That is a fact. I could not say that if it was different. But that’s why, regarding outcomes, I noted it's a repeating pattern. For that reason I feel we are nearly there to getting it right. Currently: small things.”

“I saw a lot of encouraging signs that we did, once more. However comes down to performing for 90 minutes. My message would change if it was not the case. This is why I firmly believe we will manage to turn things around.”

Opposition Reaction Response

Danny Röhl played down talk of a title charge even after what felt like a landmark win. “We take it game by game, then we can gradually build a challenge,” he said. “The belief in the team is outstanding.”