The fallout from Celtic’s latest defeat to Rangers did not end at full-time, with supporter frustration spilling beyond the pitch and into public protest - a scene that underlined the growing pressure on Wilfried Nancy just weeks into his tenure.
Confronted directly about angry fans gathering outside the stadium, the Celtic manager did not attempt to dismiss their reaction.
“Yes, I can understand that,” Nancy said. “They were behind us in the first half. They pushed us in a good way.”
Nancy insisted supporters saw enough in the performance to justify belief, even if the final outcome told a very different story.
“They see the direction that we want to go,” he said.
“But consistently for 95 minutes.”
That, of course, remains the problem.
Consistency has been the one element Celtic have repeatedly failed to produce under Nancy, with promising spells regularly followed by collapses - a pattern now reflected in a run of six defeats in eight matches.
After another loss, Nancy was asked to address the reality that many supporters no longer want him in charge. His response was calm but revealing.
“Yes, it’s a result. This is the way it is for the moment,” he said.
“But it doesn’t mean that I am a defeated guy.”
That insistence on resilience has become a familiar theme throughout a difficult spell, even as results continue to move in the opposite direction.
When questioned on whether his record has forced him to consider his own future, Nancy again refused to engage with speculation.
“I don’t think about it,” he said.
“I think about finding ways to help my team to be better on details.”
Rather than framing the pressure as a personal crisis, Nancy portrayed it as an inevitable consequence of results, repeatedly returning to the idea that Celtic are on the verge of improvement.
“We are really, really close,” he said.
“Really close to turning things around.”
The phrase, “really close,” has become central to Nancy’s defence, even as patience among supporters continues to thin.
Nancy also rejected the suggestion that his players are failing to grasp his demands.
“This is not that they are not getting it,” he said.
“I am with my players. I want to protect my players.”
Effort, he insisted, is not the issue.
“They do the maximum that they can do,” Nancy added. “But the execution has to be better.”
Despite the growing unrest, Nancy maintained that Celtic can still salvage their season - including sustaining a title challenge.
“Yes,” he replied when asked if he still believes that is possible.
“Because I watch every game and I see many good things.”
“That’s why I am a big believer that we can turn things around.”
For now, Nancy remains composed and unwavering in his message.
But as defeats mount and supporter anger becomes increasingly visible, belief alone is being stretched far more severely than results - both inside and outside Celtic Park much to the delight of the Ibrox faithful.