So what did we learn from Danny Rohl’s first Old Firm encounter? Unfortunately, probably not an awful lot. While there was some fight in the second half, it was pretty much the usual Rangers performance when it really matters in an Old Firm match. Danny Rohl’s Old Firm debut.
The Same Old Problems
The problems here continue from every manager and every regime that Rangers have basically had over the last 12 years. Celtic have the Indian sign over Rangers in this fixture when it matters. Many fans have made the argument that Celtic hadn’t beaten Rangers in quite a long time. That is technically true, but the fact is that Rangers haven’t beaten Celtic when it really matters. For a very long time. Spring 2022 to be exact.
Rohl’s Tactical Missteps
Consequently, Rohl’s performance in this one didn’t really shine. He didn’t prove himself any better than anybody else. We’ve pointed out a few of his mistakes in this one. Partnering Djiga and Souttar together didn’t work under Russell Martin and it doesn’t work under this guy either. And it doesn’t seem like he’s willing to change this any time soon. So Rangers will remain frail at the back for the foreseeable future.
We do quite like Djiga and indeed Derek Cornelius, but Djiga and Souttar just have no understanding with each other. Yet the last two managers have persisted with that pairing, whether it’s as part of a three or an outright duo itself.
Poor Selections Again
Secondly, of course, the rant that we made yesterday – he once again started Chermiti. That one seems to be sticking, no matter what. Either he’s been instructed to play the boy or he doesn’t have a clue what a striker is. Either way, it’s not ideal.
Then we can add the problem of bringing on Joe Rothwell when we were chasing a goal. He adds little and never did add much. There’s also, of course, the removal of Danilo. He wasn’t doing much wrong, maybe not having the biggest impact, but he certainly wasn’t having as bad a match as Chermiti was.
The Wider Issue
Basically, Rohl didn’t do anything to manage and fix this match. And he didn’t start with a team that could do much damage in it either. The problem is his hands are tied. Kevin Thelwell and his predecessor, Russell Martin, signed a whole host of EFL slop. We already know this. That’s what Rohl has to work with.
We do like Rohl more, but unfortunately he was measured against Celtic and fell short again. But everybody does, so we’re not taking it that personally. The fact is the squad isn’t good enough in the first place. Rohl is a Championship-level manager. Maybe not a bad manager/coach, but that’s his level.
Conclusion
He might be more likeable. There might be quite a few positive memes going on about him. But at the end of the day, you measure your Rangers manager, A, by their win percentage, and B, more importantly, by the results against Celtic. And he’s falling short in both. Danny Rohl Old Firm debut wasn’t the best.
So we’re not as against him as we were about Russell Martin, who was fundamentally dislikable, deeply so. But we see nothing here really to suggest that Danny Rohl can fix what’s broken at Rangers. In fairness, it goes way beyond him anyway.