Rangers Rohl of the dice may pay off!

Following the sacking of Russel Martin, Rangers find themselves in limbo with a crossroad lying ahead of them. One path leads to heaven, with redemption, revitalisation and an end to the insufferable pain lying at the end of it. A path to success and trophies, saving Rangers future and the lifeforce of the club.

The other path leads to the fiery pits of hell. Yet more rage, agony and anguish lie at the end. Endless suffering and torturous pain will befall the fans as the lifeforce is sucked out of the club.

Danny Rohl has been tasked with the unenviable role of leading the club down the right path. And he may just be the right man for it.

Rohl has had an interesting career so far. At 36 years old, he is incredibly young for a manager. Despite that, he has worked at some of football’s biggest and most prestigious teams. He has coached at both RB Leipzig and Southampton under Ralph Hassenhuttl as well as working as assistant manager at both Bayern Munich and the German national team. At those roles, he was assistant to none other than Hansi Flick, one of football’s most exciting managers. If Rohl’s Rangers play anything like Flick’s side, then entertainment will certainly return to Ibrox.

Of course, being assistant to Flick doesn’t necessarily mean Rohl’s sides will play similarly. And that’s no bad thing. There is a current breed of managers that are intransigently married to a playing style and refuse to deviate from it, even when it is at the expense of results. Rangers found this out all too well with Martin. Rohl however, appears to align himself with the more pragmatic school of thought.

At Sheffield Wednesday, Rohl was tactically flexible. His side could set up with four or five at the back depending on the occasion or game state. In attack, his side tended to focus on narrow overloads in the central areas of the pitch, using intricate, penetrative passes to break through the lines. The fullbacks or even a wide centre back would push up on the wings to provide width and put crosses in the box.

Defensively, Sheffield Wednesday would sit in either a mid-block or high block. The style of pressing and roles to execute it would vary depending on the setup of the team but always pressed as a unit with a cogent plan in mind. The formation of the press would vary depending on if they were going man-for-man, if they wanted to protect between the lines, if there was an opposition player whose influence they particularly wanted to limit.

Whilst they wouldn’t always aggressively press in the final third, his side would always begin the press in the middle third with the front two spearheading the movement, trying to force the ball out wide. At which point, the winger would move out to press with the fullback behind pushing up to support and cover.

Double pivots were used and played a key role in covering the central areas and screening any passes. The use of two pivots means one could push up and join the number nine in the press if need be, leaving one behind to cover the centre. Occasionally, a centre back would join him in midfield to provide an extra body.

Perhaps the most reassuring thing about Rohl’s ideas and potential tactics is what he said in his first press conference at Rangers. He spoke about how too often this season, the team has got between the lines but rather than attack the last line, the players slow down and stop. After months of Russel’s turgid, anodyne football, Rohl looks set to throw that out the window and bring some pace and chaos back. That is music to the ears of Rangers fans.

The most reassuring quote from Rohl however, is when he said, “at first you have to win games, then we can speak about playing attractive football.” That sentiment is at the core of the fanbase’s ire this season. Obviously, everyone wants to see beautiful football but right now, a return to winning ways is one rung below being a matter of life and death.

Fan reaction to Rohl has been mixed though. Some are positive that things will get better under him. Others, not so much. Social media can be a hellhole of toxic opinions and fake fans spouting fales narratives. Nevertheless, many online have been comparing Rohl to Martin, calling him Martin 2.0. That is simply false. Yes, they both managed in the Championship and are both in their thirties. But the similarities end there.

Martin is an obstinate, quixotic manager who never understood the fanbase, the club or the league. Rohl is a practical realist who has already appealed more to what the fans want to hear. Of course, performances and results are what truly matters but the signs are promising. Only time will truly tell on that front though.

Rangers currently find themselves in one of the most precarious periods in their tumultuous history. The short-term and long-term fate hangs in the balance, and another manager error could be fatal. Standing at the crossroads, we have to believe Rohl can take us down the long and winding road to recovery. The other option is simply unthinkable.