Danny Rohl has spoken to the media after the 3-0 defeat to Brann. Here is every word from his post-match press conference.
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Danny, can I ask for your assessment of that performance and did you expect better from your players tonight?
Yeah, of course. I think we have high standards and we should have high standards at Rangers. I think this is very important to understand. I think for me it was clear that everything couldn't be right, but of course we are very disappointed today at a 3-0 defeat. We have to say the opponent was better, they deserved the win, they were more aggressive, they won more second balls. I think today I saw a lot where we are at the moment, what is the reality, but also it was very clear we have not so much time to change something, but I want to see again a step forward on Sunday and it means we have to win this game.
Where do you think you are and are you further behind than you initially thought when you took the job on?
No, I think there are reasons why we didn't win in the past so many games. I think you saw this today again. My job is to find a solution as soon as possible with this group. I think I saw a lot about individual performances, but more as well how we act as a group and this is the things we have to improve.
At full time you went over to the fans, you climbed over the hoardings to get close to them, did you have an exchange with them, what was the conversation?
Yes, I think at first I apologised for this defeat and this performance. They travelled a lot for the team, they are always there. This club has a lot of passionate fans and they deserve this. It was very important for me to show that I understand them, but I said as well to them, I am working very hard to improve this group of players, to step up and get results.
Does this feel like a bigger job now than a few days ago?
I think this is the reality after two days, you hoped of course to have a good start, to win this game and have a quick turnaround, but I think in football sometimes it's just a wish, you have to work hard and it doesn't go overnight just when you talk, because we have to do something better on the pitch. Tomorrow we will go straight to the meeting, I will show them and we have to work, we have to use every single minute to improve this performance and it should not come again.
Are you convinced these players are good enough to turn the play off?
I see a lot of potential, what we have to improve, I think this is very important to understand, and this is what I told my players as well. I want to see that every individual player tried everything to make this step forward, and this is my job. I took this job over to develop them and improve them, and we have to do it as individuals but also as a group, and there are a lot of things we can do.
How frustrating was the manner of the goals that you conceded?
Yeah, I can agree, I think this is as well. To defend as a group, avoid mistakes, but mistakes happen, and it means how we react to the next team-mate, we have to help each other, and I think this mindset at the moment has to come into it. At the moment you see on the pitch we blame more a single football instead of a group football, and I think if we do this better, and if we understand this, that we have to suffer together, we have to help each other, then we will be successful. But if we try just to play our game, then it's hard, and I think you saw today a team who is exactly doing this. I think they have not, maybe not the best individual players, but they work so hard as a group, and that's the reason why they deserve this. And this is my job, to bring exactly the individual players in a group, and where we work hard as a unit.
Can I ask your opinion on Youssef Chermiti’s performance? Why did you start him and what did you make of the time he was on the pitch?
Yeah, I think before I go into this question, I think this is exactly the part, we can speak now about individual performance. But our performance as a group was not good today, and I think this is what I will try. I took him today because I saw a very last high line, and he has power, he can go deep, I think that was the reason why I took him. Yeah, but again I come back to the key message today, important is the team performance.
The fans gave you a great reception, what did that mean to you? The fact that they were very warm to you?
Yeah, I'm honest, it was a great welcome before the game, and then you hope really you can give them straight the three points and a good feeling, and this makes me sad today that I couldn't, and it was also the reason why I walked to them, to give them exactly the big respect that they deserved, and this is my job. I think we have to understand our fans are very patient, and you cannot expect that they are always happy with us when we have such a performance. And this was for me the signal why I made the step to be brave there, go to them, give them that I understand, and hopefully they understand also why I took this. I think the reaction was for me then good, they recognised us, but of course we want to show and we have to show.
Do you believe you can still qualify in this competition?
I think it's hard work what we have to do, when I look to the next opponent we will have again a big team, but it's about the turnaround, and for me the next game is the important one, and this is now on Sunday. As I said to the beginning, for me at the moment to have a long-term view makes no sense, we need games every three days and that means we have to win, and for this I will help my players, my group, my coaches, and then we go forward.
Did Brann surprise you in any way?
No. Not one minute, I expect exactly this team. You see they are also at the end of the season, they have a lot of time together, they are well-coached in basic things, how they press together, how they recover for the second ball, how they go in duels, and all these things. And it was good to see, and this is what I said to my players, our goal should be that if we face them in the future again, that we see a team who is better exactly in these points, and from this point I go forward. It is a challenge, but I believe that we will find the way to improve these things.
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