It was a game of two halves once again. The wait for a complete performance goes on for Rangers. At least their Jekyll and Hyde act didn’t come at a cost on this occasion.
Nicolas Raskin and Mikey Moore put Danny Rohl’s side in control at Dens Park. The next one didn’t come until the closing seconds as Djeidi Gassama netted. It was three goals, three points and down the road.
A difficult week was ended on a positive note at least as a routine win was earned. Rangers need many, many more of them in the months to come.
Job done in the end
It was a case of how many Rangers would win by. The frustration for Rohl will be that it was not done by a greater margin. This felt like a day for his side to be really ruthless and relentless when they started with such intent. The tempo dropped, the impetus was lost and it became a missed opportunity in many ways.
Ultimately, the three points are more important that the margin of victory. The Europa League dream is all-but over and the frustrations of events at Hampden last week will continue to linger for many. Rohl has done what he had to in Premiership terms, however, and the German can be satisfied with the signs of progress in that regard.
The deficits to Celtic and Hearts can never be forgotten about, but they are not important to focus on right now. Rangers can’t do anything about either gap apart from continue to take care of their own business and three wins from as many league outings represents a solid start from Rohl.
He now has the international break to take stock and assess where Rangers are. A handful of players already look like their minutes will be limited. While some have impressed, others still have much to prove. Rohl is off and running. Now this next tranche of fixtures will determine where Rangers could be heading this term.
Rangers should have kept their foot down
Two goals inside 15 minutes made sure of the points for Rangers. When was the last time a Premiership match was that straightforward? This was evidence that it really doesn’t need to be that difficult or complicated at times as Rohl’s side started with purpose.
Raskin continued his habit of scoring with headed efforts as he nodded home a James Tavernier corner from six yards. The Belgian had more time and space than he could have wished for and he made Dundee pay with a fine finish.
The second came from Moore. Rangers worked the build-up well and the ball broke to Moore on the edge of the area. The finish was clinical. Moore spoke this week about needing to add numbers to his game and his first goal for Rangers clearly meant a lot to him. The winger has been a quietly impressive performer of late, and he continued that here. The ovation when he was replaced by Oliver Antman was well earned.
A lengthy VAR check and pernickety spot from Matthew MacDermind ruled out the third as a Moore strike from a tight angle was chopped off. Mohamed Diomande was deemed to have interfered with play as Jon McCracken saved from Danilo.
Moore almost inadvertently made it 3-0 as McCracken fumbled a Gassama strike into his path before gathering at the second attempt. Quite some time elapsed before McCracken was involved again, saving well from another Raskin header. He had no chance as Gassama finished beautifully from distance, finding the far corner with a curling effort.
Dundee’s hope faded
Jack Butland made the first save of the afternoon. He didn’t have many more to make in the remainder of a half that Rangers were well in control of.
Ethan Hamilton’s well-struck free-kick just three minutes in forced Butland into action. He got a strong hand to the strike and the following corner came to nothing. Rangers dealt with a couple of set-piece moments comfortably and John Souttar threw himself in front of another Hamilton drive.
Dundee have averaged just 36 per cent possession over the course of the Premiership campaign so far. When their time on the ball is as hard to come by, they simply had to do more with it. The task was considerable for the hosts as Pressley regrouped at the break.
It took until the hour mark for Pressley to show his hand as Yan Dhanda and Simon Murray were introduced. The hosts had offered almost nothing to that point,but would have clung to the hope that scoring the next goal would cause Rangers issues. Butland gathered a Dhanda free-kick and Murray strike. Their hope faded as the clock ticked on and a clean sheet was another positive for Rohl to take back to Ibrox.
Mixed success for Rohl’s decisions
Rohl has shown his tactical adaptability during his first handful of fixtures. His alterations have not been a case of change for changes sake. The back-three setup that was used for the first time against Kilmarnock at Ibrox was retained for the subsequent fixtures with Hibernian, Celtic and Roma. Here, Rangers reverted to a four.
That was not certain until the minutes before kick-off. The defensive unit warmed up in a four and the first whistle confirmed the change of shape. It was a setup that suited the occasion and the opposition and Rangers attacked with purpose.
Moore caught the eye on the right and Danilo linked the play well. The centre-forward position is still an issue, however. Much was made of Bojan Miovski’s Premiership experience when he returned to Scotland but the former Aberdeen forward has yet to really impress. Once again, his hold-up play here was just not good enough and he was a hinderance rather than a help. This was 45 minutes where he contributed very little and his form must be addressed.
Rohl emerged from the dressing room at the break several minutes before his players. Youssef Chermiti was stripped for action and Thelo Aasgaard and Connor Barron were receiving instructions. Chermiti was spoken to briefly before all three finalised their warm-ups as Diomande, Danilo and Miovski were removed.
If the changes were designed to keep Rangers’ levels high, they inadvertently had the opposite effect. Neither of that trio could inject the required energy into a side that became lackadaisical despite Rohl’s constant encouragement. Oliver Antman offered little. Lyall Cameron was denied a return to the team as Nasser Djiga replaced the injured Derek Cornelius late on.
A day for Remembrance rather than protests
Rangers’ fortunes on the pitch have improved since Rohl’s appointment as head coach. But the change there is nowhere near as profound as the transformation in the stands. The mood around the support and the bond between the manager and the punters is night and day from the relationship that Russell Martin had.
The former Ibrox boss was on the back foot from day one. Rohl, meanwhile, has made an instant and positive impression. Three wins from six is not a startling run of form, but the German has given fans something to believe in, something to buy in to. His name was chanted from the opening exchanges until the final whistle. . Some will say his celebration at the end was premature, but it all plays into the feelgood factor and the synergy.
There were no banners or chants against the Rangers executive this time around. The approval rating that Rohl enjoys right now is one that Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell could only dream of at present. This was a day where Rangers were united rather than divided.
They were also together in Remembrance. The Union Bears had voiced their displeasure at being denied permission to stage a pre-match tifo display on Friday afternoon. Come kick-off, a message of ‘Lest We Forget’ filled the Bob Shankly Stand. Sergeant David Adam had led the teams onto the pitch alongside the Dundee Schools Pipe Band and the silence was impeccably observed all around Dens Park.
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