So as we have recently been reporting, it has indeed been confirmed by all sources that there is a problem with Derek Cornelius and possibly Danny Rohl. There have been a few misunderstandings thrown about this story. Ibrox Noise, with now our new fresh clarity on the topic, can reveal what on earth is actually going on, give or take. In short terms, Cornelius has been available to play for the best part of a month. With him being settled, with Danny Rohl being settled, and with the choice currently of Nasser Djiga and Emmanuel Fernandez, the German manager has made his decision on his defence. Cornelius does not play a part of this. Simple as that.
Selection decisions and omissions
Even John Souttar has now lost his place as well. That is not surprising, given he has been so poor this season. If there is one thing that we have definitely noticed about Danny Rohl, it is that he is a very poor man manager. He is only 36 and inexperienced in handling grown men en masse. He struggles to deal with precious, angry, entitled players who all want to play. Not an easy thing to do but it’s part of the job.
Cornelius situation
Now, in Cornelius’s case, he is a professional. He was hoping to get back into the team and to at least be selected in matchday squads. That has not happened, despite being fit. Rohl just is not interested in Cornelius. He has more or less made that clear, even through the press. His quotes recently have suggested and confirmed that there is an issue with Cornelius that will remain private, apparently. This is not positive rhetoric whatsoever from Rohl.
Disagreement and consequences
Simply put, they have a disagreement. They have a disagreement about Cornelius’s position. This does suggest that any chance of Cornelius being made permanent has now gone. He was going to be made permanent previously, but things changed simply because Rohl was not even putting him on the bench.
Fan perception
Some supporters are siding with Rohl based on believing Cornelius is putting country before club. They think he asked to go early to Canada’s international camp at the expense of Rangers. This is the devil of the details again. Cornelius didn’t ask, Rohl just told him to go in the first place. It was a polite ‘go away with your country because I’m not interested in you’ – this is part of why Jesse Marsch’s intervention didn’t go down well either. Marsch’s priority is the player’s well-being and his Canada team’s best interests. In short, Cornelius’ priority was Rangers, but Rohl isn’t letting that happen.
Man management concerns
The problem here is Rohl’s man management is very poor. Many players are unhappy with Rohl’s treatment of them. You only have to look at Findlay Curtis, who was shining in the first team, only to go out on loan regardless. He could not get a foot in. Subsequently, a happy team is a winning team. Rangers’ man management, or we should say Rohl’s man management, has not been up to scratch. It has caused a lot of rifts in the changing room.
Wider dressing room issues
One only has to look at the previous manager, Russell Martin and Nico Raskin, and the fallout that kicked in there. Even though in that case it was a lot more on Raskin than reported, and a lot less on Martin than was perceived. Either way, these disagreements between players cause rifts and disgruntlement in the dressing room. That is kind of what has happened here with Cornelius. He expects at least to have some kind of position in the squad. Rohl just is not interested.
Other examples and Marsch involvement
Rohl was not interested in Lyall Cameron either. He was another victim of Rohl’s management. He is of course shining at Aberdeen. Consequently, given what’s been happening, Canada’s Jesse Marsch tried to chip in to explain Cornelius’s case. Unfortunately, Danny Rohl’s stubborness kicked in. His decision was final. He is an extremely stubborn manager, as most are. Marsch was trying to persuade Rohl to at least give Cornelius some more minutes to resolve the problem with Derek Cornelius.
Escalation and conclusion
Rohl was not happy having selection suggested by another manager. It made Cornelius’s position even worse. Consequently, we have a bit of a mess now, a bit of toxicity. It is a situation that is not ideal. It only highlights Rohl’s inexperience and poor management of players. He is a decent enough coach, but not a manager. Just like Michael Beale, and indeed Giovanni van Bronckhorst at times, he struggles with individuals. He struggles with individuals and how to manage them. He struggles to keep them all happy, or at least professionally motivated.
Consequently, Rangers have a huge match against Aberdeen. This situation hangs over it. Both managers, Rohl and Marsch, have admitted that there is a problem here. We cannot say that the problem with Derek Cornelius is Cornelius’s fault. It is hard to put all the blame on Rohl, but he certainly holds some of it. It is a bit of a mess.
Findlay Curtis, Lyall Cameron and now Derek Cornelius, all falling victim to questionable management from the boss. Rohl will be cut slack as long as Rangers win, but alas, that’s not been happening a lot either.
Que sera.