So that was the latest Old Firm match that was. Once again, Rangers find ourselves in the position of lacking certainty about the direction the club is going. Currently, the debate appears to be regarding players versus manager. With a critical two points dropped at Ibrox when it appeared that the win was in the bag, Rangers fans are now debating who was actually responsible for this mayhem. Was it Danny Rohl or was it the players?
A poll
Ibrox Noise polled this fairly soon after the final whistle. We learned it was around a 74/26 split in favour of blaming the players. There are a strong number of Rohl fans in Rangers support who will back the manager regardless, but that number itself of 75 was down from the unconditional 91% favour he had prior to this one. This is akin to Philippe Clement also getting the same backing pre that Old Firm loss at Parkhead, only to see his numbers also come down to around 70.
Players or Manager?
But for those who do back the manager and who believe this was not his fault, there are a few problems of logic. If they are saying that it is the players to blame for this draw, then are they saying that the players are not playing for this manager? Are they saying that the relationship between the players and the manager has broken down?
Also, who gets the credit for the first half? In the first half, the players were being praised all over the place. So was Danny Rohl. Suddenly, the players are being blamed for the second half by the Rohl backers. They were clearly saying that they were not following the manager’s instructions or were being lazy. That still implies that they are not following the manager’s instructions.
A Breakdown in Authority?
If you are blaming the players, then you are intrinsically inferring that there is a breakdown in the relationship between the manager and his subordinates. It is fairly simple logic, really. If the fans who back Rohl are blaming the players, as they generally do, then they are saying that the players do not respect the manager and do not play for him. If that is the case, he cannot remain in position.
By that logic, the Rangers players are not listening to half time instructions. They are just going out and doing their own thing in the second half. That means that the manager is not exerting authority. That is not on the players, that would be on the manager.
The Familiar Pattern
The simple fact is that just like every previous manager Rangers have had, Rangers fans will always back the boss until it is too late. It has been too late many times and it will always be the case in the future until the board finally strikes lucky and appoints the right man.
For now, Rohl is in charge. His comments after the match once again did seem to fail miserably to take any responsibility that the majority of fans will agree with. Nevertheless, the logic problem is definitely there. If fans are blaming the players and not the manager, then they are implying that the manager’s instructions are not getting through to the players. Or are the players carrying out insurrection against the manager?
But it is very strange that they apparently were following them with no problem in the first half. Do we credit Rohl with the first half or the players? Who do we blame for the second half? Players versus manager does not quite add up and it is a distinct problem. But hey, it is football and it is emotion. When does logic ever come into it?