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The under-pressure manager declared he was not afraid of losing his job, maintaining, “I believe we are really close to a turnaround,” despite sliding worryingly close to the exit with a comprehensive loss to their arch-rivals.

A Second-Half Meltdown Leads to Old Firm Defeat

Celtic were in front the visitors at the interval but a disastrous second period allowed Rangers to move level on points with the defending league title holders. The French coach, who was appointed in December, has now overseen six losses in his first eight fixtures.

“There is unity with the board,” said the manager.

Pressed on whether he was concerned, Nancy said: “That’s not my focus. I concentrate on working out methods to get the team to improve on details.

Supporters' Anger On Display

Celtic’s support displayed their anger – towards the dugout and directors – by protesting at Parkhead. The board are thought to be considering to bring back Martin O’Neill, who steered the club during a interim spell before Nancy was hired, if Nancy departs.

“The outcomes [that leads to pressure]. That is the truth for the moment. Yet in stating this is the reality, that is not a sign that I am a defeatist guy. Not at all. The message is the turnaround is near, extremely close to change the narrative.”

Nancy’s Persistent Belief

He continues to cling to the fact Celtic play well for a half at a time. For instance, were it not for wastefulness in front of goal they would have been more than 1-0 up. “There were positives other than the fact that we didn't take a second goal,” he said. “I acknowledge that we lost, but it's important to stay objective.

“The performance we had at stages was exceptionally high. That happened. I could not say that if it was not the case. That is the reason, regarding outcomes, I mentioned it's a repeating pattern. For that reason I said that we are really close to getting it right. But for the moment: details, details, details.”

“We produced a lot of encouraging signs that we did, like today again. But now comes down to performing for 90 minutes. My message would not be if I didn't believe it. This is why I am a big believer we will manage to fix this.”

Röhl’s Cautious Stance

Danny Röhl was cautious about a title charge despite what seemed like a statement victory. “Step by step, and we can gradually build a challenge,” he said. “The confidence in the group is immense.”