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The Celtic boss declared he did not fear the sack, claiming, “We are really close to changing our fortunes,” even after sliding worryingly close to the chopping block with a convincing loss to Rangers.

A Second-Half Capitulation Results in Derby Defeat

The Hoops had led Rangers at the interval but a disastrous second period let Rangers to pull level on points with the defending Scottish Premiership champions. Nancy, who was hired in December, has now been in charge for six setbacks in eight fixtures.

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

Pressed on his own future, he responded: “It’s not on my mind. My focus is on discovering solutions to help my team to improve on details.

Protest Erupts

The fans voiced their fury – aimed at the dugout and directors – by gathering at full time. The board are reportedly likely to return to the former boss, who enjoyed a successful caretaker period before Nancy was hired, should a change be made.

“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. So this is the situation for the moment. But when I say this is the reality, it doesn’t mean that I am a defeatist guy. Absolutely not. The message is we are really close, imminently close to change the narrative.”

“Really, Really Close”

Nancy highlights the fact the side can perform strongly for a half at a time. For instance, but for poor finishing they would have been better than 1-0 up. “The performance had merit other than the fact that we missed a second goal,” he said. “I acknowledge that we lost, but I must remain balanced.

“The level we had at times was of top quality. That is a fact. I could not talk like that if it was not the case. That is the reason, when it comes to wins, I mentioned it's a repeating pattern. Which is why I feel a change is coming to a shift in fortunes. Right now: small things.”

“We produced a lot of encouraging signs that we did, as was the case today. However it’s about sustaining it. My message would not be if I didn't believe it. This is why I am convinced the team can to fix this.”

The Rangers Boss Response

Rangers manager played down talk of a title charge in spite of what appeared to be a landmark win. “One match at a time, then we can develop a challenge,” he said. “The faith in the squad is excellent.”