Danny Röhl, who recently took over as head coach of the Rangers, had a difficult ask in his first game. His side crashed to Brann with a deeply concerning 3-0 home defeat in the Europa League on Thursday night. The loss leaves the Rangers at the bottom of Group C with no points. This significantly increases the likelihood of their failure to progress out of the group stage.
Röhl replaced Russell Martin only days before the game. With just two training sessions to work with, besides a quick introduction period to players, he was tasked with quickly establishing a core philosophy. The team’s performance on the field reflected this lack of preparation, as they struggled to compete against a well-organized and aggressive Brann side.
During his post-match press conference, Röhl took responsibility for the failings within his squad. Although we lost 3-0, we can talk about those goals against us. The overall performance of the entire team wasn’t up to par,” he said. He hounded the Rangers, saying they were “second to every ball.” There was no spark or dogged determination that you might have expected from a club of their rich pedigree.
Team captain James Tavernier supported Röhl’s line of thinking, calling it “a disgraceful performance.” He admitted that the players overall lacked in their physical reaction and tactical reaction on the field. You will get on-the-ground advice directly from the managers themselves. It’s our job to implement those out on the field. As a Rangers player, that’s just par for the course.
Rangers Youth striker Youssef Chermiti scored just 24 seconds into the match in Bergen. Sadly, he squandered a golden opportunity to open the scoring early in the match, which made him deeply upset. The team’s failure to take advantage of these opportunities only added to their woes during the match and in 2023.
Röhl outlined his commitment to prioritizing winning over attractive football, acknowledging that immediate results are essential for rebuilding confidence within the squad. You should feel like you want to win that ball. Because right now, it’s simply way too easy for our opponents to run circles around us. To that end, he continued.
Röhl remains optimistic that the team can turn it around despite Wednesday’s heavy loss. I think that’s what everyone wanted, the beginning when I show up. In football, you can wish something, but in reality I have to work hard with the group and my players. I am absolutely confident we can pull off the turnaround,” he added.
The head-to-head meeting against Kilmarnock this Saturday at Ibrox should provide Rangers an ample chance to regroup. With five Europa League fixtures still to come, including matches against Sevilla and a well-coached Fenerbahce, the road back looks quite difficult. Röhl isn’t showing any signs of stopping any time soon in his pursuit of rapid-fire solutions, either.
“I learnt a lot about individual profiles. To get in front of them on the pitch, under pressure, what they can do, what we have to improve. It’s now my work to get more immediate fixes,” he finished.
Röhl additionally voiced his sadness for all the fans that made the trek to support the squad, talking about their heartbreak. I thank the music fans for listening and deeply apologize that we delivered this underwhelming performance. It’s a long trip from Glasgow, and they made the journey to watch us lose 3 – 0. This is something nobody deserved,” he stated.
Rangers have an immediate mountain to climb, as they focus their minds on their next match. Specifically, they have suffered from a head-scratching curse, having allowed a goal in each of their last 25 away matches. Röhl is under huge pressure to create transformation. He needs to boost morale and confidence among players and supporters alike during this difficult transition year.
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