Danny Rohl guided Rangers back to the summit of the Scottish Premiership yesterday, then disclosed he will persist with a newfound superstition by deliberately ignoring the title clashes involving rivals Hearts and Celtic later today. The Ibrox head coach watched his team edge ahead of Hearts on goal difference, having played an additional game, following a gritty home victory over Dundee United.
Rohl's Ritual: Ignoring the Rivals
Rohl admits he will not tune in to watch either of the other two contenders battling for the championship this afternoon, and he does not even desire updates or text messages about their performances. This approach, he believes, has been yielding the positive results he craves for Rangers. Hearts travel to Livingston this afternoon, followed by Celtic's visit to Dundee, but Rohl confirms he will have no involvement in Super Sunday's events, especially after witnessing Celtic's recent loss at Dundee United.
'I will do the same as the last matchday,' Rohl stated. 'I put my phone off — no ticker, no LiveScore. Last time, I got a message from my assistant coach saying: "Did you see the result?". I said: "No, what happened?". He said: "Great result". So, I will do exactly the same and maybe three times in a row it will happen. Let's see — but I'm not available this time on Sunday.'
Victory Sealed with Goals and Grit
Goals from Ryan Naderi, Dujon Sterling, Thelo Aasgaard, and Bojan Miovski secured the crucial points for Rangers yesterday, while Amar Fatah and Zac Sapsford found the net for Dundee United. Despite propelling his side into first place, Rohl emphasises the importance of maintaining a hunter's mentality rather than feeling like the hunted.
'I am very surprised it is two years (since Rangers were top),' he reflected. 'On the other side, the most important thing is that we still have the right mindset. Even if we are top, you have to be the hunter. You cannot try to keep something. It is crucial to be on the front foot and, if we win six games, then we will have something at the end of the season.'
Rohl expressed confidence in his players' potential but cautioned about the long road ahead, stressing the need for humility and readiness for upcoming challenges. 'I am convinced the players have the potential to do this, but there is still a long way to go. You have to be humble and ready for what is next. We have taken big steps, but my job now is to keep the players hungry.'
Injury Concerns and Tactical Reflections
Ryan Naderi was substituted at half-time and replaced by Youssef Chermiti, with Rohl optimistic about his return for next weekend's trip to Falkirk. However, left-back Tuur Rommens is sidelined due to a quad muscle issue.
'On Thursday, during training, he felt something in his quad,' Rohl explained. 'We scanned him. It's not a big one but still serious. Hopefully, it's just two more games and he is ready latest for the second game in the split. Tuur will do everything to be ready as soon as possible.'
While Rohl highlighted the three points as the day's paramount achievement, he acknowledged the performance had its fluctuations. Some fans suggested Tochi Chukwuani could have committed professional fouls to prevent Dundee United's goals, but Rohl offered a different perspective.
'I think I would say: "Be smart in the duels sometimes". I would not ask for a foul. The best thing is that you are prepared positionally. In the second goal we conceded, we were too open. We need to be quicker and more aggressive and these are things we have to improve upon.'
He added, 'We see in transitional moments against you that tactical fouls we should sometimes make, but it's more important we can win the ball back without a foul because it gives us the opportunity to strike and turn it into an offensive moment.'
Dundee United's Disappointment
Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin lamented defensive errors that contributed to his team's defeat, which extinguished their slender hopes of catching Falkirk for the final top-six position.
'The first goal is a mistake from our point of view,' Goodwin said. 'My keeper (Ashley Maynard-Brewer) knows he needs to do better with the initial shot. I wasn't sure if he could have caught it but, if he's going to tip it over the bar, then we need to make sure of that. The first three goals that we concede are all really avoidable. That's been us all season, really, defensively. We haven't been good enough.'
Goodwin conceded disappointment over missing out on the top six, crediting John McGlynn and his Falkirk players. Maynard-Brewer was substituted in the second half and faces a period on the sidelines due to a suspected dislocated shoulder.
'I think he's dislocated his shoulder,' Goodwin confirmed, underscoring the physical toll of the match.
