Rangers were decked out all in orange. Is their future now bright? Danny Rohl will certainly hope so after a dramatic victory over Hibernian at Easter Road.
Danilo put Rohl's side ahead inside five minutes as he finished well from the edge of the area. It was the start of an encouraging half for the visitors, although Hibs had their chances to draw level before the break.
Read more:
- Derek Cornelius picks mentality as Rohl's biggest Rangers upgrade after Martin exit
- Danilo opens up on 'hurtful' episode under Russell Martin, Danny Rohl impressions
It was a lead that they held on to, and deservedly so. Jack Butland saved a Jamie McGrath penalty with five minutes remaining. Rangers have back-to-back victories. Now Celtic await at Hampden.
First ground gained in the title race
A look at the league table before a ball was kicked did not make for pleasant reading for Rohl. Come the final whistle, the first ground had been gained. Most importantly, Rangers had held up their end of the bargain.
The 36-year-old inherited a hugely challenging situation when he replaced Russell Martin. The victory over Kilmarnock at the weekend was a step in the right direction and saw Rangers move closer to Celtic, while the gap to Hearts remained the same.
Half an hour in and Rangers had been ahead for some time. The news from Paisley was that St Mirren had taken the lead against Hearts, while Celtic had also scored first at Parkhead in their fixture with Falkirk. The next updates saw Hearts pull themselves level and Celtic double their lead.
The state of play would have been discussed in the away end. It would have mattered little in the away dressing room, though. Before Rangers can worry about their title rivals, they have to prove their own title credentials.
Easter Road is a venue that carries the tag of a ‘difficult place to go’ alongside the likes of Tynecastle and Pittodrie. For some time, however, it has been a happy hunting ground for Rangers they haven’t lost a top flight fixture here since 2006 – a run that stretched back 26 matches before this visit.
It is too early to call this a statement of intent victory and occasion but the deficit to Hearts now stands at 11 after they were held by the Buddies. Rangers have much, much more to prove. The full importance of this performance and these points will be told in time.
Danilo makes the difference
The opening goal was exactly the sort of moment that Rohl will want to see more often from his side. It highlighted the benefits of having two strikers on the pitch as Youssef Chermiti got the assist and Danilo got the goal. It was also an example of pressing in the right manner, winning the ball high up and the park and then being able to capitalise on the turnover of possession.
The finish from Danilo was excellent. He controlled the pass from Chermiti on the edge of the area and opened up the shooting angle with one touch. With his weaker left foot, he beat Raphael Sallinger to his left. On the back of his header against Kilmarnock, it was a sign that the Brazilian could be one of the beneficiaries of the change in the dugout.
Mikey Moore was denied by Sallinger from distance and Chermiti pulled an effort wide across target. A volley from Jayden Meghoma had to be dealt with by the Hibs keeper.
Rangers were more organised, for sure. They were still short of guile. Large periods of the second half elapsed without Hibs being troubled or Rohl’s side looking threatening. Thelo Aasgard was introduced, as was Bojan Miovski. As the clock ticked on, Rohl would have taken a one-goal victory and three points without a hesitation.
A Tavernier volley that Sallinger smothered was one of the few notable moments. Kilmarnock should have been beaten by more at the weekend, but a narrow win was all that Rangers deserved here. Crucially, that is what they achieved.
Hibs had their chances
The first half ended without the hosts finding a way beyond Butland. It was not for a lack of trying from Gray’s side but the decisive action was not there for the hosts as they recovered well from the early setback of Danilo’s opener.
A low drive from Nicky Cadden, after McGrath had shifted the ball wide to the left, was saved by Butland in the opening minutes. After falling behind, Hibs responded positively and a terrific block from Nasser Djiga thwarted Thibault Klidje.
Butland saved from McGrath after he tried his luck from distance. Grant Hanley was also denied as Butland moved to his left and turned a header round the post. On the back of his blunder at the weekend, he was a more assured presence from set-pieces this time around.
Gray had been forced into a switch early on. Chris Cadden picked up a yellow for a foul on the impressive Meghoma and a red seemed sure to follow as the Englishman thrived in the wing-back role once again. Miguel Chaiwa was introduced as Josh Mulligan – a target for Rangers in the summer – moved to the right.
Chaiwa was the creator of Hibs’ first chance after the break. From the right channel, he picked out Klidje. Somehow, the Togolese conspired to divert the ball away from the target rather than over the line.
This Rangers side were so easy to play against, so easy to play through, earlier in the season but this was more resolute, more organised. Five minutes from time, Hibs had their opportunity after Connor Barron fouled Junior Hoilett. Butland made a terrific stop to his right to deny McGrath as a first clean sheet since the win at Ross County last December was earned.
Selection calls pay dividends
The decisions were bold from Rohl. The German has played the ‘one game at a time’ card on a couple of occasions already over the last week but it was hard not to think that he had one eye on Celtic when picking a side to face Hibernian. Five changes – including the call to bench captain James Tavernier – were made here as Djiga, Max Aarons, Barron, Moore and Chermiti all started. There was no place for Aasgaard, or for Gassama.
Rohl put the selection down to needing fresh legs and energy. The demand for Rangers to play at a higher tempo will naturally ask more from each player and the side that is the strongest on paper cannot be asked to play every minute during a demanding schedule. There is also a learning process for Rohl. With time short on the training ground, the best way to determine who is up to the job is to see them in match action.
Rangers needed a change of direction upon Rohl’s appointment. There was nothing to be gained from him trying to tweak what he inherited given how abject Rangers had been before his arrival. The overhaul was never going to be instant, but the signs of improvement had been evident early on and Rohl’s tactical flexibility, his willingness to change in game, has been welcomed.
Tavernier replaced Meghoma, who was on a booking after a really poor decision from John Beaton, and Gassama replaced Danilo at the break. Aarons switched to the left side where he looked uncomfortable at the start of the campaign. If this system is to be utilised more often in the second half of the season, Rangers will need to add in the transfer market to make the squad more suited to it.
Danny is on a roll with fans
They say a week is a long time in football. The last seven days will already feel much, much longer for Rohl. He was asked at his pre-match press conference how he could sum up life at Ibrox so far and joked that he had seen more of the journalists present than he had his wife. It has been a whirlwind for the former Sheffield Wednesday boss but he has struck the right tone, both on and off the park.
He has earned the support of the support. If you need a reminder of how important a factor that can be for any manager, just ask Russell Martin. The last man in the Ibrox hotseat never felt like the right fit for the position, in any sense. Rohl has slotted into the office, however, and even those sections of the fanbase who were not sold on his appointment will have been impressed with him so far.
The tune of ‘Daddy Cool’ that was first heard in Bergen last week – yes, that is only a week ago – was repeated at Ibrox on Sunday. It was given another airing here. This is a crowd that just needs something, someone, to get behind and believe in and Rohl has given them that so far with a team that looks more like a Rangers side in terms of his effort and effectiveness.
Martin spoke so often about winning games in a certain way. That overcomplicated the situation. What these fans want more than anything is to win, regardless. It is substance over style, points over plaudits. Rohl grasps that. Can he continue to deliver it?
Share