Bullish Celtic's manager insists he is not worried about being fired yet supporters display anger following derby defeat.

The Celtic boss declared he was not afraid of dismissal, claiming, “I believe we are very near to things turning around,” despite sliding worryingly close to being fired with a heavy defeat by the Ibrox side.

A Second-Half Collapse Results in Derby Loss

The Hoops were in front Rangers 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 brought in from Columbus Crew, has now presided over six setbacks in his last eight games.

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

Asked directly about his own future, he replied: “I don’t think about it. I think about working out methods to help my team to be good on details.

Fan Fury Outside Parkhead

Hundreds of supporters voiced their fury – towards the hierarchy – by gathering outside the stadium. The hierarchy are reportedly likely to bring back Martin O’Neill, who steered the club during a caretaker period before Nancy was hired, should a change be made.

“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. That is the reality for the moment. However in stating that’s how it is, that is not a sign that I am giving up. Not at all. What I mean we are really close, imminently close to turn things around.”

“Really, Really Close”

He remains focused on the fact the side show good levels for a half at a time. Indeed, if not for wastefulness in front of goal they might have been greater than 1-0 up. “I saw enough other than the fact that we didn't take more goals,” he said. “I acknowledge that we lost, but it's important to stay balanced.

“The standard we had at times was of top quality. That is a fact. I could not talk like that if it was different. That is the reason, in terms of results, I mentioned it's a repeating pattern. Which is why I said that we are really close to getting it right. But for the moment: details, details, details.”

“There were a lot of encouraging signs that we did, like today again. But now is performing for 90 minutes. My outlook would change the same. This is why I firmly believe the team can to fix this.”

The Rangers Boss Stance

Rangers manager was cautious about a serious challenge despite what felt like a statement victory. “One match at a time, and we can gradually build something here,” he said. “The confidence in the group is outstanding.”