Unbowed Nancy shows no fear of the sack but the Parkhead faithful show anger after loss.

The Celtic boss insisted he was not afraid of the sack, maintaining, “I believe we are really close to things turning around,” in the wake of edging perilously close to the chopping block with a heavy setback against the Ibrox side.

Another Meltdown Sees Derby Loss

The Hoops were ahead their oldest rivals at the interval but a collapse after the break let the Gers to draw level on points with the defending league title holders. The former MLS manager, who was appointed from the MLS, has now overseen six defeats in eight fixtures.

“The board and I are united at the club,” stated the manager.

Pressed on whether he was concerned, the 48-year-old replied: “I don’t think about it. My focus is on working out methods to aid my players to be good on the fine details.

Supporters' Anger Erupts

The fans voiced their fury – directed at the board and manager – by gathering at full time. The hierarchy are reportedly likely to bring back Martin O’Neill, who enjoyed a successful temporary stint last year, should a change be made.

“Wins and losses [that leads to pressure]. That is the reality for the moment. But in stating this is the reality, it doesn’t mean that I am a defeatist guy. No. My point is we are really close, extremely close to turn things around.”

“Really, Really Close”

The coach remains focused on the fact the side show good levels for one half at a time. Indeed, but for missed chances they could have been greater than 1-0 up. “I saw enough aside from the fact that we didn't take a second goal,” he said. “I acknowledge that we lost, but I must remain balanced.

“The performance we had at stages was exceptionally high. That is a fact. I could not speak so positively if it was different. Therefore, in terms of results, I noted we've seen this before. That’s why I feel a change is coming to a shift in fortunes. Right now: the fine margins.”

“I saw a lot of encouraging signs that we did, like today again. The issue now is consistency. My narrative would be different if it was not the case. This is why I firmly believe the team can to get back on track.”

Röhl’s Cautious Outlook

The victorious boss played down talk of a championship push even after what seemed like a statement victory. “One match at a time, so we can develop something here,” he said. “The faith in the team is immense.”