Bullish Nancy shows no fear of dismissal yet supporters display wrath following defeat.

The under-pressure manager insisted he did not fear dismissal, maintaining, “The team is extremely close to changing our fortunes,” despite moving dangerously close to being fired with a heavy loss to their arch-rivals.

A Second-Half Meltdown Sees Derby Disaster

The Hoops were ahead their oldest rivals at the break but a disastrous second period let Rangers to pull level on points with the current Scottish Premiership champions. The former MLS manager, who was appointed from the MLS, has now presided over six setbacks in his first eight games.

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

Pressed on whether he was concerned, the 48-year-old said: “That’s not my focus. I concentrate on finding ways to aid my players to excel on the fine details.

Fan Fury Outside Parkhead

Celtic’s support made their feelings clear – aimed at the dugout and directors – in their hundreds at full time. Club directors would be most likely to re-appoint Martin O’Neill, who enjoyed a successful temporary stint before Nancy was hired, if the Frenchman were sacked.

“The outcomes [that leads to pressure]. So this is the truth for the moment. But in stating this is the reality, that is not a sign that I am giving up. Absolutely not. The message is we are really close, really, really close to change the narrative.”

Nancy’s Persistent Belief

He continues to cling to the fact his team show good levels for one half at a time. For instance, if not for missed chances they would have been more than 1-0 up. “There were positives except the fact that we missed a second goal,” he said. “I acknowledge that we lost, but I have also to be fair.

“The level we had at times was really, really, really high. That happened. And I would not talk like that if it was untrue. Therefore, when it comes to wins, I noted we've seen this before. That’s why I said that a change is coming to things turning around. But for the moment: details, details, details.”

“There were a lot of encouraging signs that we did, once more. But now is consistency. My narrative would change if I didn't believe it. Therefore I am convinced we’re going to be able to get back on track.”

Opposition Reaction Stance

Danny Röhl refused to contemplate a title charge in spite of what felt like a statement victory. “We take it game by game, and we can really build up momentum,” he said. “The confidence in the group is immense.”