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The under-pressure manager insisted he did not fear the sack, claiming, “The team is extremely close to things turning around,” in the wake of sliding worryingly close to being fired with a convincing defeat by their arch-rivals.

Another Meltdown Results in Derby Defeat

The home side had led Rangers at half-time but a disastrous second period enabled Rangers to draw level on points with the current league title holders. The French coach, who was appointed in December, has now overseen six defeats in his first eight games.

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

Asked directly about his own future, Nancy replied: “It’s not on my mind. My focus is on working out methods to aid my players to excel on details.

Supporters' Anger On Display

Celtic’s support displayed their anger – aimed at the dugout and directors – by gathering at Parkhead. The hierarchy are thought to be considering to re-appoint the interim manager, who had a fruitful interim spell before Nancy was hired, if the Frenchman were sacked.

“The outcomes [that leads to pressure]. That is the situation for the moment. However in stating that’s how it is, it doesn’t mean that I am a defeatist guy. Absolutely not. My point is we are on the cusp, imminently close to turn things around.”

“Really, Really Close”

The coach remains focused on the fact Celtic play well for a half at a time. Indeed, were it not for poor finishing they could have been better than 1-0 up. “I saw enough except the fact that we missed our chances,” he said. “I know that we lost, but it's important to stay fair.

“The level we had at certain moments was really, really, really high. That happened. And I would not speak so positively if it was untrue. That is the reason, when it comes to wins, I mentioned this is the same story. That’s why I feel we are nearly there to getting it right. But for the moment: the fine margins.”

“I saw plenty of positives that we did, as was the case today. The issue now it’s about performing for 90 minutes. My outlook would not be if it was not the case. This is why I firmly believe we’re going to be able to fix this.”

Röhl’s Cautious Outlook

Danny Röhl refused to contemplate a championship push in spite of what appeared to be a landmark win. “One match at a time, so we can really build up something here,” he said. “The confidence in the group is excellent.”