Bullish Celtic's manager insists he is not worried about being fired however the Parkhead faithful show anger following derby defeat.

The Celtic boss declared he was not afraid of the sack, maintaining, “The team is really close to a turnaround,” even after moving dangerously close to being fired with a convincing defeat by the Ibrox side.

Another Meltdown Leads to Old Firm Defeat

The home side were in front Rangers at the interval but a disastrous second period allowed Rangers to pull level on points with the current Scottish Premiership champions. The former MLS manager, who was hired from Columbus Crew, has now overseen six defeats in his last eight fixtures.

“The board and I are united at the club,” insisted the manager.

Questioned about whether he was concerned, Nancy responded: “It’s not on my mind. I concentrate on discovering solutions to help my team to improve on details.

Supporters' Anger Outside Parkhead

The fans made their feelings clear – towards the hierarchy – by gathering outside the stadium. The hierarchy are thought to be considering to re-appoint Martin O’Neill, who enjoyed a successful temporary stint 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. However in stating that’s how it is, that is not a sign that I am a defeatist guy. No. What I mean we are on the cusp, imminently close to turn things around.”

Focus on the Details

Nancy remains focused on the fact Celtic can perform strongly for a half at a time. In fact, were it not for poor finishing they would have been more than 1-0 up. “The performance had merit other than the fact that we missed more goals,” he said. “I know that we lost, but it's important to stay objective.

“The level we had at stages was of top quality. That happened. And I would not talk like that if it was different. Therefore, when it comes to wins, I mentioned we've seen this before. For that reason I feel we are really close to a shift in fortunes. Right now: details, details, details.”

“We produced plenty of positives that we did, like today again. The issue now comes down to performing for 90 minutes. My narrative would be different if I didn't believe it. This is why I am a big believer the team can to turn things around.”

Röhl’s Cautious Outlook

Rangers manager played down talk of a serious challenge despite what seemed like a huge result. “We take it game by game, so we can really build up momentum,” he said. “The belief in the squad is outstanding.”