Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd delivered a knowing, tongue-in-cheek assessment of the growing pressure on Wilfried Nancy after Celtic’s latest defeat - a moment that raised smiles in studios and Rangers-leaning living rooms alike.
Speaking on Sky Sports in the aftermath of Rangers 3-1 Old Firm comeback win, Boyd appeared to offer sympathy for the Celtic manager - before undercutting it with a trademark grin.
“Wilfried Nancy pleaded for time,” Boyd said.
“I think right now, it does look as if there’s a lot of, you know, an atmosphere here, but I wouldn’t be, making any knee-jerk decision if I was Celtic.
“Patience is a virtue.”
Boyd paused. Then smiled directly into the camera.
The comment, delivered with deliberate softness, landed harder than outright criticism.
It echoed a growing sense that while Nancy continues to ask for time, the environment around him is becoming increasingly unforgiving.
That tension was evident in Nancy’s own post-match comments, where calm language contrasted sharply with the reality of six defeats in eight matches.
“We are really, really close,” Nancy insisted.
“Really close to turning things around.”
It is a phrase that has become central to his defence - and one Boyd’s smile seemed to acknowledge without needing to say more.
Nancy once again framed the defeat as a game of moments rather than momentum, pointing to Celtic’s strong opening half as justification for belief.
“The first half was outstanding — offensively but defensively also,” he said.
“We should have scored more goals.”
But the familiar collapse after the break followed, with Nancy returning repeatedly to the same explanation.
“In the second half we conceded one goal on a throw-in,” he said.
“After that, the second goal was on a throw-in, and the third goal was also on a throw-in.
“This is the reality.”
Boyd’s comments subtly highlighted the contrast between words and outcomes.
While Nancy spoke of patience, direction and fine margins, the scenes outside Celtic Park told a different story, with supporter anger spilling into public protest.
“Yes, I can understand that” Nancy said when asked about unhappy fans.
““They see the direction that we want to go - but consistently for 95 minutes.”
Consistency, of course, remains the one thing Celtic have not shown since Nancy’s arrival.
Asked whether he worries about his own future, the Celtic boss was unmoved.
“I don’t think about it,” he said.
“I think about finding ways to help my team to be better on details.”
Boyd, watching on, chose not to push the knife in. H
e didn’t need to. His words - and the timing of that smile - did the job.
At Rangers, belief is currently backed by results, momentum and clarity. Across the city, belief is being asked to survive on patience alone.
And as Boyd gently suggested, patience may be a virtue - but it is rarely endless in Glasgow.