Danny Rohl admits he underestimated the Rangers Glasgow job
Danny Rohl admits he underestimated the Rangers job amid Glasgow's emotional rollercoaster. The German, who led Ibrox for shy of 12 months before joining Red Bull Salzburg, said the intensity shocked him after replacing Russell Martin, with Rangers finishing third last season.
Key Takeaways
- Danny Rohl says the Rangers role was more intense and emotional than he first thought.
- He recalls fans booing while Rangers led Kilmarnock 1-0 at half-time at Ibrox.
- Rohl is convinced he could have won the Premiership with a full pre-season.
- He cites a Motherwell defeat and a missed Old Firm chance as season-defining blows.
- The former boss backs Derek McInnes to attack and win the league.
Why did Danny Rohl say he underestimated the Rangers job?
Speaking after his switch to Austria, Danny Rohl told MailSport the Ibrox post was a bigger challenge than expected because of how intense and emotional it is in Glasgow.
He said he could make a quick tactical impact, pointing to an early away win at Hibs after replacing Russell Martin. The start was still brutal: Roma in Europe and a cup semi-final against Celtic soon followed, leaving little time to settle.
Rohl said Dundee United away was the first time he felt what it meant to be Rangers manager. After winning the first four league games and drawing once, Rangers conceded after 10 minutes at Dundee and tensions spiked. The lesson, he said, was not to get too emotional after wins.
"It's an emotional rollercoaster in Glasgow," he said, recalling a 1-0 half-time lead over Kilmarnock that still drew boos. He argued the club must win a title to restore lasting trust after years of near-misses, noting only Steven Gerrard's Covid-era title broke the drought.
Could Danny Rohl have won the Premiership if he stayed?
Rohl left for Red Bull Salzburg after a late-season stumble left Rangers third. He insisted a pre-season was the minimum needed to build something lasting at Ibrox and refresh the changing room.
"Did I feel confident if I'd gone back that I could win the title? Yeah, of course. That was my conviction," he said, as reported by The Scottish Sun.
He said leadership changes were necessary and that the hierarchy backed a restart. Without midweek-after-midweek fixtures from day one, he believed Rangers could have sustained the direction shown in a 4-2 win over Hearts and strong spells against Celtic at home.
Rohl also praised successor Derek McInnes, saying Rangers can play strong, organised football with a great attitude and have no reason not to attack the title this season.
Which Rangers moments does Rohl say changed the season?
Rohl argued Celtic would not have won the double if Tuur Rommens had made it 3-0 in the March Old Firm derby at Ibrox. Rangers led 2-0 at the break, Rommens' tame effort was saved by Viljami Sinisalo, and Celtic recovered for 2-2.
He said a 3-0 lead would have put Rangers four points clear and "killed" Celtic's run. Instead, momentum faded in the closing weeks when the squad needed it most.
He called the later Motherwell reverse—from 2-0 down to 2-2, then 3-2—the "killer." Rohl said he is convinced that if Rangers had won that game, he would not now be in Salzburg. For more sports and media alerts, follow BlasterPost Streaming & TV Alerts.