Celtic’s 3-1 Old Firm derby defeat to Rangers at Celtic Park deepens pressure on Wilfried Nancy, yet the head coach insists the Scottish Premiership title race remains within reach and believes the performance still showed enough promise for a recovery under current leadership.
The loss means Celtic stay behind leaders Hearts, missing the chance to draw level at the top, while Rangers’ win moves Danny Rohl’s side onto 38 points, matching Celtic’s total and tightening the Old Firm rivalry in the standings.
Underlying numbers offer Nancy some support, as Celtic recorded an expected goals figure of 1.52 from 21 attempts, while Rangers produced an xG of 1.06 from only nine shots, suggesting Celtic created more pressure but were less ruthless when
chances appeared.
Since Danny Rohl took charge of Rangers in league action, the Ibrox club have collected 29 points, the highest tally in the Scottish Premiership over that spell and eight more than Celtic have managed, highlighting the shift in momentum within the Old Firm derby rivalry.
Celtic started strongly in the derby, taking the lead on 19 minutes when Yang Hyun-Jun delivered a precise finish, yet Rangers responded after half-time as Youssef Chermiti struck twice within nine minutes, before Mikey Moore drove a low shot into the bottom-left corner with 19 minutes remaining.
The defeat continues a difficult start for Nancy, who replaced Brendan Rodgers at the beginning of December and has overseen only two victories in eight matches across all competitions, those wins coming against Aberdeen and Livingston on either side of Christmas.
Manager reaction after Old Firm derby, Celtic vs Rangers defeat
"It was disappointing because we deserved more today, but again we needed more goals," Nancy told BBC Scotland. "In the second half, we conceded three goals from throw-ins. It's difficult to accept, but it's reality. This is not about the players or the tactics, this is about moments. This is not about myself, this is about disappointing the fans because I know the meaning of this game. "
Nancy stressed belief in the squad’s potential despite the setback, while also underlining the emotional cost of losing such a key Old Firm derby occasion for Celtic vs Rangers followers inside Celtic Park.
Full-time.#CELRAN | #CelticFCpic.twitter.com/cyeRJGU2wUCeltic Football Club (@CelticFC) January 3, 2026
"I can understand the disappointment, but I saw what we're able to do. We are really close, there are many things that can turn around. If it was not the case, I would not talk like this. I really believe we can turn things around. We are together with the board. "
Supporter protest and pressure after Old Firm derby, Celtic vs Rangers result
The recent stretch of results around the Old Firm derby, Celtic vs Rangers meeting and other fixtures led to a mass protest outside Parkhead, where supporters voiced anger towards the club’s board after seeing the team fall away from early-season Scottish Premiership expectations.
"I can understand that. I think that they were behind us in the first half, they pushed us in a good way," Nancy added. "And after that, I can understand why they're disappointed regarding the fact that we had many possibilities to win the game. I know that I repeat myself, but it happened in the past also regarding many games. "
Nancy’s stance keeps focus on missed moments rather than broad tactical failure in the Old Firm derby, Celtic vs Rangers contest, and the coach maintains that strong backing from the board and evidence from performance data support the view that Celtic can still recover ground in the Scottish Premiership race.
