🔗 Share this article

The Celtic boss stated he was not afraid of losing his job, maintaining, “We are very near to changing our fortunes,” in the wake of edging perilously close to the exit with a comprehensive defeat by Rangers.

A Second-Half Meltdown Leads to Derby Defeat

The home side were in front the visitors at half-time but a collapse after the break let Rangers to pull level on points with the defending Scottish Premiership champions. The French coach, who was hired from Columbus Crew, has now overseen six losses in eight games.

“The board and I are united at the club,” said Nancy.

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

Protest Outside Parkhead

The fans voiced their fury – directed at the board and manager – by gathering outside the stadium. The board are reportedly likely to re-appoint the former boss, who steered the club during a interim spell before Nancy was hired, should a change be made.

“It’s the results [that leads to pressure]. So this is the situation for the moment. But by saying this is the reality, it doesn’t mean that I am pessimistic. Not at all. What I mean we are really close, extremely close to change the narrative.”

“Really, Really Close”

The coach highlights the fact the side play well for 45 minutes at a time. For instance, were it not for wastefulness in front of goal they would have been better than 1-0 up. “I saw enough aside from the fact that we missed a second goal,” he said. “I acknowledge that we lost, but I must remain objective.

“The performance we had at certain moments was really, really, really high. That happened. And I would not say that if it was not the case. But that’s why, in terms of results, I mentioned we've seen this before. For that reason I believe we are nearly there to getting it right. Right now: the fine margins.”

“We produced a lot of encouraging signs that we did, once more. But now comes down to performing for 90 minutes. My message would be different the same. This is why I firmly believe we will manage to fix this.”

Röhl’s Cautious Response

The victorious boss played down talk of a serious challenge in spite of what appeared to be a huge result. “One match at a time, and we can gradually build something here,” he said. “The confidence in the squad is outstanding.”