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Gers chances of ending their five year wait for a league championship have been left in tatters following a calamitous collapse
Rangers boss Danny Rohl reflects on 2-1 loss to Hearts
Dejected Danny Rohl admits Rangers haven’t been good enough to be champions.
The Ibrox side’s 2-1 defeat to Premiership leaders Hearts at Tynecastle all but ended their title hopes.
Gers are now a huge seven points behind the Jambos with just three games left to play.
Afterwards, Rohl confessed that they had fallen short in the post-split, business end of the season. After last weekend’s loss to Motherwell, they allowed a 1-0 half-time lead in Gorgie to slip through their fingers.
Dujon Sterling’s goal gave them a crucial advantage but they failed to build on it. Instead, Rangers let the game slip away by failing to turn up after the break.
Goals from Stephen Kingsley and Lawrence Shankland secured a vital victory for Derek McInnes’ side. Rohl cut a frustrated figure at full-time after seeing his team’s league bid go up in smoke.
But the German was honest enough to say they’ve failed to hit top form when it mattered most. Rohl said: “I want to see a team that plays for 95 or 100 minutes on the best level.
“But that’s where we are at this moment and it’s a little bit of a shame. At this time of year, when you come to the highest level, there are good opponents who can play at that level.
“That’s the reason there’s a top six split. The other teams can create something. Because of this, you have to be on the highest level and it wasn’t enough.
“For me, this is what I take from the season and I know exactly what we have to do better next season. I’ve seen a lot of improvements but it’s finally maybe not good enough to win the title this year.
“We have nine points still to play for and from this moment I’ll push them again in the right direction.”
When asked what impact the defeat will have on their faint title hopes, Rohl said: “Yeah, a big one, there’s no question.
“We’re in a really difficult situation now. We worked so hard to come so close. But in the last two games, it’s not enough just to play one half at your best level.
“That’s what I demand in the next three games. We have to show courage now, because I expect my players to take three fantastic results.”
In too many games this season, Rangers have produced Jekyll and Hyde displays from one half to the next. It’s happened in their last three games against Falkirk, Motherwell and Hearts.
Rohl’s side failed to react when McInnes made a switch at half-time, replacing Islam Chesnokov with Blair Spittal. The change appeared to help give the home side the upper hand but the Rangers gaffer is adamant it had nothing to do with tactics.
Instead, he says his players simply didn’t heed his warning at the break about how Hearts would play. He said: “In the first half there were positive things. We showed one of the best away performances against a strong side.
“We dominated the game with the ball and against the ball – we were ready for second balls. We kept it well and found spaces. But you know at half-time – it was clear from me.
“I said: ‘Guys, we start again at 0-0 and we have to win the second half.’ Then we came out and weren’t convinced enough to press. We dropped and dropped.
“Then Hearts did Hearts things. They played more channel balls and their two goals are really similar. We spoke at half-time on how to defend these situations and we didn’t in those moments.
“At 1-1, with the home crowd, it was a different game. It wasn’t down to tactics. The ball in behind isn’t tactics.
“When you drop and drop and don’t have pressure on the ball, it’s more difficult to defend.”
Rohl’s side now go to Celtic Park for the last Old Firm derby of the season with the Hoops battling Hearts for the title. And Rohl says his players should go into angry with their Tynecastle performance.
He said: “Hearts dominated with Hearts football. It’s what we expected. And we should be really angry that we brought the opponent back into it.
“That’s what we have to learn very soon, and very quickly, to make the next step. We came here and had a strong 45 minutes. We were prepared, ready and active in the game.
“But when they take more risk and play more direct, you have to defend this and take small opportunities as well.
“In this moment, we couldn’t do that.”
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