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The Celtic boss declared he did not fear losing his job, maintaining, “I believe we are extremely close to a turnaround,” even after sliding worryingly close to being fired with a convincing setback against the Ibrox side.

A Second-Half Capitulation Results in Old Firm Defeat

The home side were in front the visitors at half-time but a collapse after the break allowed the Gers to pull level on points with the current Scottish Premiership champions. Nancy, who was brought in in December, has now overseen six setbacks in eight games.

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

Pressed on his own future, he replied: “It’s not on my mind. My focus is on discovering solutions to get the team to improve on small moments.

Supporters' Anger Outside Parkhead

The fans made their feelings clear – aimed at the hierarchy – in their hundreds at Parkhead. The hierarchy would be most likely to bring back the interim manager, who enjoyed a successful caretaker period last year, if the Frenchman were sacked.

“The outcomes [that leads to pressure]. And that’s the situation for the moment. However by saying this is the reality, that is not a sign that I am a defeatist guy. Not at all. My point is we are on the cusp, imminently close to reverse our form.”

“Really, Really Close”

Nancy highlights the fact Celtic can perform strongly for 45 minutes at a time. For instance, if not for poor finishing they might have been better than 1-0 up. “There were positives other than the fact that we didn't take more goals,” he said. “I know that we lost, but I must remain fair.

“The performance we had at times was really, really, really high. That is a fact. I could not speak so positively if it was different. That is the reason, regarding outcomes, I said we've seen this before. That’s why I feel we are really close to a shift in fortunes. Currently: the fine margins.”

“There were a lot of encouraging signs that we did, like today again. However comes down to performing for 90 minutes. My message would change if I didn't believe it. This is why I am a big believer we’re going to be able to turn things around.”

Röhl’s Cautious Stance

The victorious boss refused to contemplate a championship push in spite of what appeared to be a landmark win. “We take it game by game, and we can develop momentum,” he said. “The faith in the team is outstanding.”