Rangers: ‘Red flags for Danny Rohl as side routed in first game’

And thus it starts anew for yet another Rangers head coach. More caution to witness, heightened frailty in defense, more ineffective play up front, more wide players running in ever-narrowing circles.

Another loss, another match that, accompanied by no goals and no points, presented no positives.

In recent years, Rangers, despite their various shortcomings, stood toe-to-toe with teams like Athletic Club, Benfica, RB Leipzig, and Borussia Dortmund.

Now they’re getting demolished by Brann, Norway’s third-ranked side.

The drop in standards has been glaring. It’s not simply skill that these Rangers players lack; it’s also character and the will to fight. A note for Danny Rohl – are you truly certain you understand what you’ve signed up for?

Before Brann netted their first easy goal, their soft second, and the third which turned a pitiful debut into a humiliating one for Rohl, there was a moment (the first of many) that surely sent a chill down the spine of the new Rangers manager.

The German advocates for pace and intensity, pressing and hunting, and he witnessed plenty of it, but none from his own players.

His players resembled those from prior seasons. The same as during the distressing days under Russell Martin, identical to the decline under Philippe Clement, akin to the fall during the Michael Beale era.

What he observed from his team at that stage was a lack of organization and faith, yet they were still level. They were slightly fortunate to be at 0-0, but they were – and then they should have taken the lead.

The opportunity squandered by Youssef Chermiti was a glaring one, a rare instance of Rangers precision in the cross by Nico Raskin, but a weak effort from the young striker, a feeble header from a great position. Nine minutes later, the floodgates opened.

This was likely the first of the warning signs for Rohl. It wasn’t merely that Chermiti failed to find the net; he didn’t even remotely pose a scoring threat.

His effort was innocuous. A lack of confidence, undoubtedly. A young player, without question. But also a player who Rangers have invested £8m in.

When he was substituted late in the second half, his scoring record at Rangers, Everton and Sporting was three goals over more than 25 hours of play.

That touch from the header was the sole one Chermiti managed in the Brann penalty area throughout the entire match. This reflects more on his teammates’ desperate failure to create scoring opportunities than on him.

The 21-year-old’s passing accuracy was tied for the lowest among all players on the field, and he won only four out of 13 duels.

Chermiti may eventually perform well, but Rohl doesn’t have the luxury of time to wait. Chances are if given the £8m spent on the striker, he would find many other ways to allocate it.

The striker is a project of Kevin Thelwell. The sporting director is fully committed to him, praising his potential just days ago when Rohl was introduced.

Thelwell’s confidence in the £8m investment seems unwavering, which is remarkable considering Chermiti’s last senior goal occurred in May 2023 during a 4-0 victory for Sporting against Pacos Ferreira.

Thus far, the striker is increasingly becoming a symbol of the problems plaguing Rangers and what Rohl must find a way to rectify – poor decision-making and the peculiar circumstance of spending substantial funds on a team only to deteriorate it further.

They have invested more than £30m in transfer and loan fees since summer, only to face humiliation at the hands of Brann. It defies comprehension.

You can’t help but sympathize with Rohl. Clearly a talented coach, having experience at Bayern Munich and the German national team.

Prominent figures in coaching speak highly of his skills. The brief story of his time at Sheffield Wednesday and how he connected with his players and fans demonstrates that he can also be an excellent leader.

It’s easy to regard Wednesday as ‘not Rangers’, which it isn’t, but it was a high-pressure role at a club with an exceptionally challenging owner, and he managed it effectively.

What he currently faces is a highly supportive owner and a club hierarchy that desperately hopes for his success, but he also has players who seem intimidated.

He has players whose minds are clouded and whose confidence is nearly shattered due to the agony of repeated failures under Martin and the harsh criticism from fans. They appear like quaking jelly.

They lack so much self-confidence that Rohl’s task extends beyond coaching. He may need to bring in sports psychologists.

That’s not an exaggeration. These Rangers players lost all self-belief the moment Brann made it 2-0 with a free header from a free-kick. They were shattered at that juncture.

Rangers defenders argued with one another, but it exemplified the frailty everyone has noticed from them for quite some time. They have now conceded 15 goals over their last five European outings.

For Rohl, it must have been an insightful lesson regarding the volume of effort he needs to invest. Perhaps he was already aware, but he certainly understands it now.

What he desires from his team – quick thinking, swift movements, aggression, unity, and relentlessness – is light years removed from what he currently possesses, which was Martin’s downfall, although Martin essentially sealed his own fate.

As often occurs at Rangers, the grace period is brief. Rohl is now entrenched in the reality of how steep the challenges ahead truly are.