Three points first, performances later

The mood around Rangers can flip on a sixpence, and it’s happening again. A couple of scrappy moments, one or two subs people don’t fancy, and suddenly you’re reading that folk are losing faith in Danny Röhl. Over line-ups and substitutions. That’s Scottish football for you, but it doesn’t make it any less daft.

Because the truth is, some days are not about style points. They’re about banking three points, keeping the pressure where it needs to be, and moving on. That’s exactly what Rangers did against a Motherwell side that are rarely a soft touch when they’ve got their shape right and their work-rate up.

Motherwell made it awkward for a reason

You could see early doors what type of afternoon it was going to be. Motherwell organised, disciplined, and happy to make it a grind. Compact when we had the ball, quick to close down in midfield, and always looking to turn it into a scrap for second balls.

That’s why performances can look flat, even when you’re in control enough to win. If the opposition are set up to stop you playing through them, you end up going round them, over them, or forcing things. It isn’t always pretty on the eye, and it certainly isn’t always flowing stuff, but it’s part of the league. Especially when you’re trying to get results with a squad that doesn’t always click.

We’re not getting vintage Rangers every week

There’s a bigger point here that fans should probably accept, even if we don’t like it. This current group isn’t reliable for a proper “performance” every week. Not the kind where you’re purring after half an hour and the game’s dead by the hour mark.

So the manager has to manage what’s in front of him. Röhl can only play the hand he’s been dealt for now, and that means sometimes you’ll get pragmatic choices, cautious phases, and subs that look like they’re about seeing a match out rather than putting on a show.

We all know there are players who probably shouldn’t be part of the long-term plan. No need to name and shame every week, because everybody watching can see the same things.

Results keep you alive while the rebuild starts

The encouraging bit is that results like this keep Rangers moving in the right direction while bigger decisions get made. There’s a St. Mirren game to get through next, and it’s another one where the headline has to be the points. Nothing else.

And it’s worth repeating the most telling line from this whole feeling around the club: if we win the game in hand, we’re only six behind Hearts. That doesn’t happen if the manager is getting everything wrong. So maybe, just maybe, Röhl is doing something right, even if it’s not always the way we’d draw it up on a tactics board.

Written by Dadab88: 28 December 2025