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Wilfried Nancy insisted he did not fear losing his job, maintaining, “The team is extremely close to changing our fortunes,” in the wake of edging perilously close to the chopping block with a heavy defeat by Rangers.

Another Meltdown Results in Derby Disaster

The Hoops were ahead the visitors at half-time but a collapse after the break let Rangers to draw level on points with the current league title holders. The French coach, who was hired from the MLS, has now overseen six losses in his first eight fixtures.

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

Asked directly about whether he was concerned, the 48-year-old responded: “I don’t think about it. My focus is on discovering solutions to help my team to improve on details.

Protest Erupts

The fans voiced their fury – aimed at the board and manager – in their hundreds at full time. Club directors are thought to be considering to bring back Martin O’Neill, who steered the club during a interim spell previously, if the Frenchman were sacked.

“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. That is the situation for the moment. But by saying that’s how it is, that is not a sign that I am pessimistic. Not at all. My point is the turnaround is near, imminently close to reverse our form.”

Nancy’s Persistent Belief

Nancy continues to cling to the fact Celtic can perform strongly for 45 minutes at a time. In fact, but for poor finishing they could have been better than 1-0 up. “There were positives except the fact that we haven’t scored more goals,” he said. “I accept that we lost, but I must remain fair.

“The level we had at times was exceptionally high. That happened. I could not speak so positively if it was not the case. Therefore, when it comes to wins, I said this is the same story. For that reason I said that we are nearly there to things turning around. Currently: the fine margins.”

“We produced a lot of encouraging signs that we did, once more. But now is performing for 90 minutes. My message would change if I didn't believe it. That’s why I am convinced we will manage to turn things around.”

Opposition Reaction Response

The victorious boss refused to contemplate a championship push in spite of what felt like a huge result. “Step by step, and we can gradually build momentum,” he said. “The belief in the team is excellent.”