Rangers manager Danny Rohl has issued a stark challenge to his players to develop a more ruthless edge in front of goal, despite seeing his side grind out a narrow and nervy 1-0 victory over Hibernian at Ibrox.
A Scrappy Victory Lifts Rangers to Third
The crucial three points, secured by a first-half header from defender Manny Fernandez, propelled Rangers up to third place in the Scottish Premiership table. The result extends their impressive unbeaten run in the league to 11 games, yet the performance was far from convincing over the 90 minutes.
Fernandez broke the deadlock after 35 minutes, meeting a Dujon Sterling cross with a fine header to give the home side a lead they would never relinquish, albeit in a tense and fragmented contest. The German head coach was quick to stress the paramount importance of securing results, even when the football isn't at its most aesthetically pleasing.
Rohl's Verdict: 'It's About Effort, Effort, Effort'
'I am happy for the group, it was an exceptional effort,' said Rohl, who watched late chances from Youssef Chermiti and Djeidi Gassama go begging to make the closing stages more comfortable. Gassama did find the net late on, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.
'It was not always the nicest football but we are finding a way to win games,' Rohl admitted. 'It is not always about playing tiki-taka and the nicest football. Sometimes it is about effort, effort, effort.'
While pleased with a fifth consecutive clean sheet, the manager pinpointed the area requiring urgent improvement. 'I would like us to be more clinical. I’m happy with the points but, of course, we have to improve. It’s step by step and for me it’s about winning games.'
He added: 'I wish in the future that we use the open spaces from the opponent to kill them. I think this is also crucial, because then I can relax a bit more on the touchline.'
Hearts Clash Looms as Miovski Could Return
The victory sets up a monumental clash this Sunday, as Rangers travel to face league leaders Hearts at Tynecastle. Rohl's side now sit three points behind Celtic and nine behind Hearts, making the upcoming fixture a pivotal moment in their campaign, though the boss played down its title-deciding potential.
In a boost for the trip, Rohl confirmed that striker Bojan Miovski could be available after missing the Hibs match with a minor knock. 'Now it’s about recovering,' Rohl said of the preparation. 'It’s the first normal week since I’ve come here, with no midweek game. We have to be brave... I think we have more than enough quality to hurt all opponents in the league.'
Hibs Boss Gray Rues Missed Opportunities
For Hibernian, interim boss David Gray was left to lament a familiar failing: a lack of quality in the final third. 'There is real frustration because how we started, we asked players to be brave and start on front foot,' Gray stated.
'I thought we played well up until the final third and that was a theme of night... We got into good positions and our quality let us down. Very rarely does creating chances elude this side and that’s the real frustration.'
Gray believed his side were the better team until conceding what he described as a 'very poor' goal. 'The biggest thing I asked the players to do was to believe they could come here and go toe to toe with one of the best sides in the league and we did that,' he concluded, insisting his team can be 'miles better'.
