Former Celtic captain Tom Boyd thinks the club will stick by Gordon Strachan as manager even if the title is relinquished to Glasgow rivals Rangers.
"It is the nature of the beast with the Old Firm to be calling for his head after just one title loss," Boyd said after Rangers' 1-0 derby victory.
"But chief executive Peter Lawwell has backed the manager.
"And Gordon Strachan has mentioned nothing other than preparing for next season - as should be the case."
Rangers are now six points ahead of Celtic with a game in hand after Saturday's narrow win at an intense Ibrox.
But Boyd has not given up hope completely of a stirring fightback by Strachan's side.
The former Celtic defender was part of a team that came from behind to deny Rangers a tenth straight league title as Walter Smith ended his first spell in charge back in 1998.
"Celtic have fought back to win the title before and can do so again"
"If we had lost the New Year's derby, we would have gone seven points behind, but we won it," he recalled.
"So it wasn't quite as late in the season, but it has been done before and can be done.
"I remember further back, in 1986, Celtic winning 5-0 away to St Mirren on the final day after staging a comeback to pip Hearts."
But, although he thinks Celtic still have an outside chance, Boyd admits that Strachan's side face an uphill task.
"Every game must be won between now and the end of the season, including their two games at home to Rangers, and then hope that Rangers drop points somewhere," he said.
Boyd thought that Celtic were the more positive side at Ibrox but commended Rangers manager Smith's tactical accumen.
"I thought there was only one team out to win the game," he said.
"Rangers make their team very difficult to beat and that has been a feature of Walter Smith's teams with Scotland and since he came back to ibrox.
"You have to score the first goal against them.
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"After Rangers' goal, Celtic did not threaten enough, although McGregor had a great save from Hinkel.
"Rangers only managed a couple of shots on goal, but the most important fact is that they took their chance and Celtic did not.
"That's the most disappointing thing about Celtic in recent weeks. They have been finding it difficult to score goals."
However, Boyd disagreed with those among the Celtic support pressing for a change of manager.
"That's what happens in the goldfish bowl of the Old Firm and Paul Le Guen was only given six months at Rangers last season," he said.
"The people that matter know what he has achieved after two championships in a row, having taken Celtic to the last 16 of the Champions League and won a couple of cup finals."
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