Every word Danny Rohl said in his press conference following Rangers' 2-1 defeat against Hearts at Tynecastle.
Danny, can you sum up your disappointment at that result?
Yeah, of course. I saw a team from our side until the 1-0, which was together. We were really good in the game, unlucky with this tight offside decision. But then we had four minutes and it cost us something. This is really tough to accept. We know in such a game, in such a big game, you have to be in every situation 100 per cent. I think for the corner, they played well [to score] at 1-0, but for me it's more how we come to the situation and it was unnecessary to have a ball-losing situation in our own half. Of course, until this moment we were really aggressive, we were well-organised, we took all the strength from them off, but in the end it's a 2-1, it's a defeat. And this is what we have to learn from this. In such games, we have to come to 100 per cent as a group and an individual, and in some moments we were not at 100 per cent. And then you lose this game and you think it wasn't necessary.
Were you disappointed you didn't threaten them more in their final third?
Yeah, this is again decision-making. I think that even two or three minutes before it went 1-0, a situation where we wanted to switch the game and we could find our free men far away to have a good cross ball, we missed the ball and they're out, and then you come in these small moments. I felt really in the stadium that they were a bit impressed with our performance, how we reacted, but in the end they won. And then in the second half you have a different game, they're waiting for transition moments, you have to open up, you have to take more risks, and then they are good in this, they are doing well, I think this is also a big respect to them, but I felt really the first 40 minutes [before] the 1-0 that we were good in the game.
The Rangers fans expect a title challenge, how big a blow is this?
We missed a big opportunity today, this is hard to take. I spoke about the steps, today it was more a side step than a step forward. We spoke about it - football is not about if, it's about the result, and today we couldn't win, and then of course they kept it a little bit more open again. It's tough, because I felt really in the first half until the first goal there was more on, and in the second half I can just say that we tried everything, I think my team tried and put all the effort in, but then in such a game it's not so easy to come back.
Danny, are you still missing three or four players, two or three, in a game like this to seize initiative when you're on top, or get you back into a game when you're behind?
Yeah, I think this is also... I'm not sure how many games we have to go now, but there's still a long way to go, I think in the next three weeks we have big games, and it makes me positive that I see from my group that we are competitive, that we can take something, but I see as well, and this is today maybe a little bit similar to our European game, where we couldn't win these games in the small 50-50 situations, we have to be more clinical, have better decision-making, if we do this then we wull take more points in the future, because I saw today a group who is really trying, I think we changed and adjusted some bits, I think today the conceded goals are not about shape or individual errors, it's more about how we act in some key moments.
Jack Butland has been a huge figure for the team this season. Do you have a job now to pick him up?
Yeah, I think this is always in football like this, if you make a mistake in a No.10 position, centre-forward, winger position, the consequence is not so huge if you make it in the last line, or by the goalkeeper's decision-making, then there's a big impact. [Jack] gives us a lot of points, we are a group not happy about the result, and I think it was a good message to my squad, we should not complain to each other in such a moment; it's about the reaction, and the next chance is next week.
Danny, you talk about that four-minute spell, how does that happen, is that a mentality issue?
Yeah, I think the first thing, how we come to the set-play, we did not make the right decision, and then we know as a team they played and scored a lot in set-plays, it's a strength. 20 minutes earlier, we had a big opportunity to score, and then we will have maybe a different press conference today [if we score], but it's what it is, we have to keep going, have a good reaction and carry on.
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