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Wilfried Nancy stated he was not afraid of the sack, claiming, “I believe we are really close to things turning around,” even after sliding worryingly close to the exit with a convincing setback against Rangers.

A Second-Half Collapse Results in Old Firm Disaster

The Hoops were ahead their oldest rivals at the interval but a second-half capitulation let the Gers to draw level on points with the current Scottish Premiership champions. Nancy, who was appointed from Columbus Crew, has now presided over six setbacks in his last eight fixtures.

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

Pressed on the speculation, Nancy replied: “That’s not my focus. I think about finding ways to aid my players to excel on details.

Fan Fury Erupts

Celtic’s support voiced their fury – towards the board and manager – by protesting at full time. The board are thought to be considering to return to Martin O’Neill, who enjoyed a successful interim spell before Nancy was hired, should a change be made.

“It’s the results [that leads to pressure]. So this is the truth for the moment. But by saying that’s how it is, I am not saying that I am giving up. Not at all. The message is the turnaround is near, really, really close to turn things around.”

Focus on the Details

Nancy remains focused on the fact his team can perform strongly for a half at a time. For instance, if not for poor finishing they might have been better than 1-0 up. “The performance had merit other than the fact that we haven’t scored more goals,” he said. “I accept that we lost, but I have also to be fair.

“The standard we had at certain moments was really, really, really high. That happened. I could not talk like that if it was untrue. That is the reason, regarding outcomes, I said we've seen this before. Which is why I said that we are nearly there to getting it right. Right now: details, details, details.”

“We produced many, many good things that we did, like today again. The issue now comes down to sustaining it. My message would not be if it was not the case. That’s why I firmly believe the team can to fix this.”

The Rangers Boss Outlook

Rangers manager refused to contemplate a championship push in spite of what felt like a statement victory. “One match at a time, then we can gradually build a challenge,” he said. “The confidence in the team is outstanding.”