Defiant Nancy shows no fear of being fired however Celtic fans display anger following defeat.

The under-pressure manager declared he had no concerns about the sack, maintaining, “The team is really close to changing our fortunes,” even after moving dangerously close to the exit with a convincing loss to their arch-rivals.

A Second-Half Collapse Results in Old Firm Defeat

The Hoops had led their oldest rivals at half-time but a disastrous second period allowed Danny Röhl’s team to draw level on points with the defending Scottish Premiership champions. The former MLS manager, who was appointed in December, has now been in charge for six losses in eight matches.

“The board and I are united with the board,” insisted Nancy.

Questioned about whether he was concerned, he said: “That’s not my focus. My focus is on working out methods to get the team to excel on small moments.

Protest Erupts

Hundreds of supporters voiced their fury – towards the dugout and directors – by gathering at full time. Club directors are reportedly likely to bring back Martin O’Neill, who steered the club during a caretaker period before Nancy was hired, if Nancy departs.

“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. That is the truth for the moment. Yet in stating this is the reality, I am not saying that I am pessimistic. Absolutely not. What I mean we are really close, extremely close to change the narrative.”

“Really, Really Close”

He continues to cling to the fact his team play well for a half at a time. In fact, but for missed chances they might have been greater than 1-0 up. “There were positives except the fact that we missed more goals,” he said. “I know that we lost, but I have also to be balanced.

“The performance we had at stages was of top quality. This is the reality. I could not talk like that if it was not the case. But that’s why, regarding outcomes, I said it's a repeating pattern. Which is why I believe we are really close to things turning around. Currently: the fine margins.”

“We produced plenty of positives that we did, like today again. But now it’s about sustaining it. My outlook would not be the same. This is why I firmly believe we will manage to fix this.”

Röhl’s Cautious Stance

Rangers manager played down talk of a serious challenge even after what seemed like a statement victory. “One match at a time, so we can develop momentum,” he said. “The confidence in the squad is immense.”