Chermiti absolutely nailed it before kick-off with his line about spirit over quality. That’s not just a nice soundbite either. You can tell when a player understands what Rangers nights demand, and that comment felt like one of those wee moments that sticks in the supporters’ heads.
A first half that wasn’t Rangers enough
Truth is, that opening 45 was hard watching. It didn’t really matter how Danny Röhl had us laid out on the teamsheet, because the basics still have to be there. Win your duels. Match their running. Be switched on second balls. We didn’t, and it looked like we were getting outfought all over the pitch.
If you’re looking for the main reason we were still in the game at half-time, it’s Butland. Simple as that. Without him doing his job, we could’ve been chasing it with a mountain to climb.
Röhl got it wrong, then fixed it
I’m firmly in the camp that says Röhl set us up wrong initially. I was surprised we waited until the break to adjust because it felt obvious things weren’t clicking. But here’s the bit that matters: when he did tweak it, it worked.
That’s what you want from your manager. Not stubbornness. Not pretending everything’s fine. Just clear-headed changes that shift the game.
Raskin higher, and a proper reaction
One lesson from the turnaround should be about Raskin. Asking him to sit deep and play as the six doesn’t get the best out of him. When he’s allowed to press, snap in, and get himself up the pitch, you see a different player. More energy. More purpose. More Rangers in his game.
And fair play to Gassama as well. That second-half performance was a different level from him, the sort of showing that makes you think, right, there’s something there if he keeps it up.
On the flip side, Aasgaard just didn’t look like a Rangers player to me. You can forgive a misplaced pass, even a poor decision, but the lack of fight is a killer at this club. If there’s an offer on the table at any price, I’d be moving on.
It’s still WATP, and it did end up feeling like a decent New Year present. But Rangers can’t keep spotting teams a half and hoping a recovery job bails us out.
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Rangers News Views offers daily Glasgow Rangers coverage including match reaction, transfer analysis, SPFL context, tactical breakdowns and opinion-led articles written by supporters for supporters.
