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Wilfried Nancy insisted he was not afraid of dismissal, claiming, “The team is extremely close to changing our fortunes,” in the wake of edging perilously close to the exit with a comprehensive loss to the Ibrox side.

Another Collapse Sees Old Firm Disaster

Celtic were ahead Rangers at the interval but a second-half capitulation enabled Rangers to pull level on points with the current Scottish Premiership champions. The former MLS manager, who was appointed from the MLS, has now presided over six losses in his last eight games.

“We are together with the board,” insisted the manager.

Asked directly about the speculation, he replied: “That’s not my focus. My focus is on finding ways to aid my players to be good on details.

Protest On Display

The fans made their feelings clear – aimed at the dugout and directors – by protesting at full time. The board are reportedly likely to return to the former boss, who had a fruitful temporary stint before Nancy was hired, should a change be made.

“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. And that’s the reality for the moment. Yet in stating that’s how it is, that is not a sign that I am giving up. No. What I mean the turnaround is near, really, really close to turn things around.”

Focus on the Details

The coach remains focused on the fact Celtic can perform strongly for one half at a time. In fact, were it not for poor finishing they could have been greater than 1-0 up. “I saw enough except the fact that we missed our chances,” he said. “I acknowledge that we lost, but it's important to stay balanced.

“The level we had at stages was of top quality. That happened. And I would not talk like that if it was not the case. That is the reason, when it comes to wins, I mentioned this is the same story. That’s why I said that we are nearly there to getting it right. But for the moment: small things.”

“We produced a lot of encouraging signs that we did, like today again. However it’s about consistency. My message would be different the same. That’s why I am a big believer we will manage to fix this.”

Röhl’s Cautious Response

Rangers manager played down talk of a championship push in spite of what felt like a landmark win. “One match at a time, so we can gradually build a challenge,” he said. “The belief in the squad is immense.”