Danny Rohl has his work cut out with Rangers' serial losers

What should have been a fresh start and an insight into where Rangers could be heading only served as a reminder of where they are. If Rohl wasn't fully aware of what he had walked in to at Ibrox, he certainly is now.

Emil Kornvig gave Brann a deserved lead as he converted at the far post after an incisive break that saw Rangers cut open too easily. Jacob Sorensen made it 2-0 early in the second half and Noah Holm completed the scoring late on.

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Europa ambitions are all-but over

Rohl spoke this week about Rangers still being involved in four competitions. He did not set targets for each, insisting that the immediate focus was on winning games before he could think about winning trophies. The Europa League can be forgotten about now.

The defeats to Viktoria Plzen and Sturm Graz left Rangers at the wrong end of the standings heading into matchday three. Martin had insisted that qualification was still possible as he pointed to the requirement to win four games. With Roma, Braga and Porto to come, Rangers arrived here knowing that a point would be a small step, but that three were really needed.

That target never looked like being achieved. Three defeats from three leaves Rangers with a mountain to climb. Unlike the hills above this picturesque town, there will be no funicular to help them make the journey.

Plzen and Graz were hardly world beaters. In previous seasons, they would have been dispatched with relative ease by the teams guided by Steven Gerrard and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, and even Philippe Clement’s side. Brann – sitting third in the Norwegian top flight – fell into that same category. They were not great, but they were far better than Rangers.

The importance of European endeavours – both in football and financial terms – cannot be underestimated. The player trading model does not function without exposure to this competition and the revenue earned through participation and prize money is crucial to the bottom line. The failures so far, and the potential for further setbacks, add to the list of issues that Andrew Cavenagh and his board have to consider at present.

A steep learning curve for new boss

Rohl emerged from the tunnel around 90 minutes from kick-off and headed to the corner of the Brann Stadion that housed the travelling support. A chorus of ‘Danny, Danny Rohl’ – to the tune of ‘Daddy Cool’ – was the backing track to the journey as he applauded the hundreds in red, white and blue who had made the trip to Norway.

Rohl wore a club suit, shirt and tie and brown shoes. The dress choices of his predecessor were a talking point at various stages of Martin’s tenure, but Rohl has acknowledged the standards and traditions of the club from his first day in office. He did not need to be asked to wear a suit. The details make a difference to Rohl.

His arrival has not been met with universal approval amongst the support. Yet there was a different feel around this fixture thanks to his presence. The defeat to Sturm Graz a couple of weeks ago was played out to a backdrop of anger and apathy as Martin found himself in the firing line.

It was hard at times to watch the action on the park rather than focus on the man in the dugout. Rohl was an animated figure throughout, constantly patrolling the touchline and cajoling his players.

The fingers of blame could not be pointed at Rohl here as the home fans taunted him with a chant of 'sacked in the morning'. It was another example, not that it is needed, of the paucity of the resources that he has inherited. This is not his squad, but it is now his problem. He will be even more aware of the challenge after the first 90 minutes.

Rohl has his work cut out

Chance creation and chance conversion has been an issue for Rangers throughout this campaign. That problem is not going to be solved easily, and certainly not in the two days that Rohl had to work with his squad ahead of this fixture.

The 36-year-old did not look to impart too much information in a short space of time. He did, however, demand more intensity and highlighted the need for improvements in the final third. This was a real learning curve of an evening and he will be wiser and better for having seen this group of players in action in person.

The first openings of the night fell the way of Nico Raskin as a shot was blocked and a header was sent wide. Thelo Aasgaard and Djeidi Gassama both squandered promising situations inside the area. Once again, there was not enough invention about Rangers. The moments for Aasgaard, in particular, were glaring ones as the lack of composure saw two chances passed up.

Mikey Moore was receiving his final instructions before being introduced when Brann doubled the lead. Oliver Antman made way before the restart after another ineffective outing on the right. Moore should have hit the target after meeting a Jayden Meghoma cross. There was little else to note, and that told its own story.

It was all Brann against serial losers

Rohl was asked by a local journalist about Brann being favourites with the bookmakers. He insisted that he had no issues with the perceived status of underdogs and would have been expecting a quick start from the home side. The party atmosphere that Freyr Alexandersson had talked up gave Brann the impetus to go on the front foot in the opening stages.

Eivind Helland perhaps should have at least hit the target with a header. Ulrik Mathisen forced Jack Butland into action from close range and the Rangers keeper made a crucial block. Butland was needed again minutes later to deny Bard Finne on the angle before Holm couldn’t direct an audacious overhead kick onto the target.

The first goal was coming and Brann didn’t have to wait much longer. A pass into the channel left Rangers – especially Tavernier and John Souttar - exposed as Finne advanced. The ball broke to Kornvig at the back post and he converted from a couple of yards out to give Brann a deserved lead.

It was doubled ten minutes after the break thanks to Sorensen’s header. Finne was involved once again as he provided the cross and Sorensen evaded the attentions of Meghoma to nod beyond Butland.

Brann were in cruise control. Holm made it 3-0 from six yards, capitalising on defending that would have embarrassed a school team. Both teams got what they deserved here.

More questions and criticism in Chermiti debate

No player can be held responsible for the fee that a club pays to sign him. The deal that Chermiti was the subject of when he moved from Everton continues to be a weight around his neck.

The justification of an £8million investment is that there is plenty of scope for improvement, that his ceiling is so high that Rangers can benefit in the here and now and in the future. The first part of that process is the most important one, of course, and Chermiti started here just days after Kevin Thelwell, the sporting director, justified his acquisition and talked up the most expensive signing of a summer window that saw a net spend of around £20million. The faith looks blind right now.

Thelwell spoke about Chermiti’s physical attributes. Yet he does not hold the ball up or dominate defences in the manner required. He is certainly not a battering ram of a centre-forward and he does not lead the line well enough.

His first chance came half an hour or so in. Nico Raskin provided the dinked cross but Chermiti’s header was tame and easily saved. The wait for his goal continued. A ball that Antman flashed across the face of goal was there to be attacked by Chermiti was not in the right place at the right time.

Rohl opted to partner Chermiti with Bojan Miovski rather than replace him with the North Macedonian. That approach only lasted a matter of minutes as Danilo was called upon for the final stages. Chermiti was fortunate to last as long as he did on another night that did more harm than good.