5 hours ago
11
In theory, there are many things Danny Rohl can control as he prepares for his first taste of action as Rangers’ new head coach.
He can select his starting XI. He can choose his tactics. He can lay out the style he wants his side to play. He can mix things up and make substitutions during the 90 minutes.
Yet, it’s what he can’t control that could yet prove the biggest obstacle to his success as he demands immediate improvement from the beleaguered Ibrox club.
And that is, unsurprisingly given he’s just in the door, the players at his disposal.
You could argue that is the case for any new manager, or head coach, when they first come in. However, with this current Rangers squad, it’s perhaps an even greater challenge the new man faces.
Due to the high turnover of Ibrox bosses, this is a group of players assembled by no less than five different managers over a relatively short space of time.
Danny Rohl has only had two days to work with the Rangers squad ahead of their first match
Rohl his already pinpointed areas he believes can be improved in the Rangers squad
The current Rangers squad contains signings from five different Ibrox managers
The recently departed Russell Martin brought in 12 signings over the summer (13 if you include Lyall Cameron, who had already signed a pre-contact agreement).
His immediate predecessors Philippe Clement and Michael Beale take credit for five current players each from their own troubled tenures.
And there are still reminders from the reigns of Giovanni van Bronckhorst and even Mark Warburton - James Tavernier in the latter’s case - within the hallowed Ibrox halls.
It all adds up to a fragmented and disjointed squad as each new man has tried to rectify the apparent errors of the past. Just how Rohl goes about making the whole greater than the sum of its parts will be intriguing.
A pragmatic approach is no doubt required. Far too often in Scottish football, a manager’s determination to stick to his ‘philosophy’ has ultimately led to him being given more free time to study it after being shown the door.
In truth, the bar is probably set low against Brann in Bergen in the Europa League tonight. But Rohl will know, regardless of the tools at his disposal, that he only has a few games to get his team into some sort of shape.
Rohl also has a huge Old Firm semi-final on the horizon in a tough run of opening games
On the horizon is an Old Firm derby in the Premier Sport Cup semi-final - and with Celtic doing their best to implode this season, the Rangers supporters will be looking at that with more than a little optimism. Win that one and Rohl truly will be off to a flier.
Between tonight’s game and that Hampden date, Rangers face Kilmarnock at Ibrox before a trip to Easter Road to take on Hibs. Both clubs are above Rohl’s new charges in the league.
In terms of where to begin, the German believes a swift change in mindset and energy can yield instant results.
Rangers fans were struggling to see the tactical improvements that previous head coach Martin was trying to introduce, and Rohl has prioritised victories after the team won only five of their first 18 matches of the campaign.
Outlining his route to improving Rangers’ fortunes, the former Sheffield Wednesday manager said: ‘What I want to see on the pitch is intensity, sprinting, togetherness and a “playing forward” style. Because we want to create chances, we want to create goals.
‘And we have to understand, and this is also part of football, we have to defend as a unit, much, much better, with a lot of aggressive challenges.’
He also insisted that Rangers need more purpose in possession and more cohesion and determination without the ball.
‘We spoke about what I want to see and it’s important we take things step by step,’ said the 36-year-old.
‘The first thing is we have to speed up our game. We arrive in fantastic situations, we arrive between the lines, but instead of attacking the last line, we break and we stop.
At least Nico Raskin, who had issues with former boss Russell Martin, looked in good spirits
‘We want to attack the last line and that means, for me, if we do it again and again, we create more chances and we score more goals.
‘It starts with a good positioning in possession but, I said to my players as well, we have to understand we are a big, big, massive club and our demands are very high. But you cannot just think we can win football games with nice football.
‘We have to understand (that) we have to press well, we have to hunt, we have to counter-press and we have to play with intensity. If you do it as a unit, again and again, then it’s very hard to beat us and to break us down. This is what I want to change very quickly.’
Rohl’s approach certainly makes sense. Too often this season, Rangers have appeared passive in their play and there has been a lack of pressure applied to their opponents.
However, it remains to be seen if the players he has to work with are capable of the improvement he seeks. One thing is for sure... he’ll find out soon enough.
