Danny Rohl has spoken to the media after the Old Firm draw with Celtic at Ibrox. Here is every word of his post-match press conference.
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Danny, your thoughts on the 90 minutes?
Yeah, finally disappointed. I think we're all disappointed. We played a 50-minute outstanding football game from our side, I think, in all phases of the game. Much, much better team, good pressing, good transition moments, good possession stuff. We dominated them, they had no chance, it was outstanding. But football is about 95 minutes, not 45 or 50 minutes. Finally, it was clear for me after 2-0 and at half-time that they tried something, we came well out after the second to the half-time. I think we had straight two or three good moments. And then you felt the momentum had changed a little bit. We lost some ball in transition moments, we didn't attack the last line what we wanted to continue. They were struggling with them and then they scored a goal. And then you know they have nothing to lose, they can go all-in. And finally, they get a pen for the 2-2 and then you have the result 2-2.
The biggest question from the support will be about the mentality of the squad…
No, I will not accept the [questions over] mentality, I think this is always easy. Everyone who played football knows during a game there is a story, there is a momentum for one team, for the second team. It's about that we continue our performance over 95 minutes. If we do this then they would not have a chance to come back. I think this is also part. We have now six points, the gap, still nine games to go. I will not be tired and say this again and again, this year it's about the final match day, not today. And we will fight for every point until the end. Next week in the cup we have the next chance against them, we will try to improve, this is key. And then we go again, I think nine games, it's massive, it's a lot of things to go for playing and I totally believe in my players.
Does the dropped points damage your title chances?
Yeah, of course you need wins, every team needs wins. Today we played a draw. I think especially after the first 45-50 minutes I think everyone in this room will agree, everyone saw how Rangers played. I think this is our benchmark, what we should play in the future more and more. Not just 50 minutes, it's about 95 minutes. We couldn't keep this performance and this is what we have to improve.
What changed in the second half?
I think there were some moments where we lost the ball in areas we shouldn't. We gave them some transition moments, then the field was too stretched, we lost a little bit of compactness. I think we tried to stabilise the midfield with a third midfielder. But football is then about energy, and then you felt when you come not really in this momentum back, then as an opponent they tried everything. I have to look back when I count all the big chances, except from the pen I'm not sure how many chances they had really. In these two situations, I think we had always not the right positioning in our box. I think this is crucial. Also by the pen, it was a five-against-three situation. If we man mark and we have an open-body position in our box, then we can defend this situation. But this is football, we have to learn, we have to take it. We will speak about this and then we will try next week to make it better to come in the next round.
When Jack saved the penalty and the rebound Hatate got a third chance…
Yeah, I think at first you make the fantastic save, and then if you want it's also a little bit lucky that it comes exactly at this point to the opponent's back, not on the side or something like this. Then you make the second save and then the third one is in. I think all in all it's tough to take today because when the equaliser comes so late, in the game especially, then also with the pen, you have to take it today. But my job is to give them more of the group again, I believe, if we can go again.
Do you need to see that Youssef in every game now?
I think it's not just Youssef, we played the first 15 minutes of outstanding football from all of us. For me it's really the new benchmark, this should be our game, this should be our future, how we want to play, how we want to dominate teams that are around us and we have to learn from this, it's more than just 45 minutes, 50 minutes. I think all the supporters, all of us, we can be disappointed, but we will not give up any chance for more this season.
How frustrated at you at the individual drop-off?
Yeah, there's also the opponent. I think they stepped up in the second half, that's what I try to describe, there's a momentum, and momentum in a game influences some individual performances. Then you lose two or three times the ball, you cannot bring the next pass to your team-mate, and it takes a little bit more trust and belief from your own performance. But we will take the first 45 minutes as a rule model, but we have to improve in the second half of course.
Is there an inconsistency in Andreas Skov Olsen?
Yeah, he's on the way to be better and better, I think he has now some good assists, I think that comes better and better. It's all about us, that we have to improve, I think there is no player to be in a comfort zone. I think we want to increase, we have to increase, I've said this many times, we have to be better and better in every game. I see a direction, but today of course we couldn't keep the great performance from the first 45 minutes and it's the reason why we are disappointed. We have to be disappointed about us and then we move forward.
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