The most painful part for many Celtic supporters is that this outcome felt inevitable.
Even before the match, there was widespread concern, anger and frustration among the fanbase about Wilfried Nancy and the direction his tenure had taken, with fears that another damaging result against Rangers was on the horizon.
Because of that, the reaction inside Celtic Park to the 3-1 defeat came as little surprise. It was another bleak afternoon under Nancy and one that appeared to push patience to breaking point.
Pat Nevin was in attendance and witnessed the mood inside the stadium as it unravelled. As has become familiar under Nancy, Celtic controlled large parts of the first half, failed to make that dominance count, and then collapsed after the interval.
When Mikey Moore struck Rangers’ third goal in the 71st minute, helped by a weak attempt from Kasper Schmeichel to keep it out, the atmosphere turned toxic. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Nevin described how the supporters’ anger was immediately directed away from the pitch.
He explained that fans did not focus on the players at all. Instead, their attention shifted straight to Nancy on the touchline and then towards the directors’ box, with frustration clearly aimed at those in charge. According to Nevin, there had been an uneasy feeling in the stadium even before kick-off, and once that third goal went in, the blame was firmly placed at boardroom level.
Questions are now being asked about Nancy’s repeated failures to manage games effectively. Time and again, Celtic have looked organised and dangerous early on, only to appear lost after the break. When it happens so often, it can no longer be dismissed as coincidence.
Nevin pointed out that Nancy was slow to respond as Rangers took control in the second half, suggesting changes were needed as early as the first or second goal. He noted that Celtic were clearly second best at that stage and that big matches like this demand quick, decisive action.
For Nancy, Nevin suggested, the intensity, pressure and hostile atmosphere of these occasions may be unfamiliar territory. That, he felt, has contributed to hesitation at key moments, leaving Celtic exposed once again when the game turned against them.