Defiant Celtic's manager insists he is not worried about being fired however the Parkhead faithful display fury after derby defeat.

Wilfried Nancy insisted he did not fear losing his job, maintaining, “I believe we are extremely close to changing our fortunes,” despite moving dangerously close to the exit with a heavy defeat by the Ibrox side.

Another Collapse Sees Old Firm Defeat

The Hoops were in front their oldest rivals at half-time but a disastrous second period let Rangers to pull level on points with the current league title holders. The former MLS manager, who was appointed in December, has now been in charge for six losses in his first eight games.

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

Pressed on whether he was concerned, Nancy replied: “It’s not on my mind. I concentrate on working out methods to aid my players to excel on details.

Fan Fury Erupts

Hundreds of supporters made their feelings clear – aimed at the board and manager – by gathering at full time. The hierarchy are thought to be considering to return to the former boss, who enjoyed a successful caretaker period before Nancy was hired, should a change be made.

“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. So this is the truth for the moment. Yet when I say this is the reality, I am not saying that I am pessimistic. Not at all. My point is the turnaround is near, really, really close to turn things around.”

Nancy’s Persistent Belief

The coach remains focused on the fact the side show good levels for 45 minutes at a time. Indeed, if not for missed chances they might have been more than 1-0 up. “There were positives other than the fact that we haven’t scored a second goal,” he said. “I accept that we lost, but I have also to be balanced.

“The standard we had at stages was really, really, really high. This is the reality. I could not say that if it was untrue. Therefore, in terms of results, I said it's a repeating pattern. Which is why I believe we are really close to getting it right. Currently: the fine margins.”

“There were a lot of encouraging signs that we did, as was the case today. The issue now it’s about consistency. My narrative would change the same. This is why I firmly believe we will manage to get back on track.”

Opposition Reaction Response

Danny Röhl was cautious about a serious challenge in spite of what seemed like a landmark win. “We take it game by game, then we can develop momentum,” he said. “The belief in the team is excellent.”