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The Celtic boss declared he did not fear the sack, maintaining, “I believe we are really close to changing our fortunes,” in the wake of edging perilously close to being fired with a convincing setback against Rangers.

A Second-Half Meltdown Sees Old Firm Loss

The Hoops had led their oldest rivals at the interval but a collapse after the break allowed the Gers to draw level on points with the reigning Scottish Premiership champions. The French coach, who was brought in in December, has now been in charge for six setbacks in eight matches.

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

Asked directly about his own future, Nancy responded: “That’s not my focus. I think about discovering solutions to get the team to excel on the fine details.

Protest Outside Parkhead

Celtic’s support displayed their anger – aimed at the dugout and directors – in their hundreds outside the stadium. Club directors would be most likely to return to the interim manager, who enjoyed a successful temporary stint last year, if the Frenchman were sacked.

“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. So this is the situation for the moment. But when I say that’s how it is, that is not a sign that I am pessimistic. Not at all. My point is we are on the cusp, extremely close to reverse our form.”

Focus on the Details

The coach remains focused on the fact the side show good levels for one half at a time. In fact, if not for missed chances they might have been greater than 1-0 up. “There were positives other than the fact that we haven’t scored our chances,” he said. “I acknowledge that we lost, but I must remain balanced.

“The standard we had at times was really, really, really high. That happened. And I would not say that if it was different. Therefore, in terms of results, I said it's a repeating pattern. For that reason I believe we are nearly there to getting it right. But for the moment: the fine margins.”

“I saw many, many good things that we did, like today again. The issue now is 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 get back on track.”

Opposition Reaction Response

The victorious boss refused to contemplate a title charge in spite of what felt like a landmark win. “Step by step, then we can gradually build a challenge,” he said. “The belief in the group is outstanding.”