Danny Rohl praised his Rangers side and their connection with supporters after a hard-fought 1–0 win over Hibernian — a result he believes signals growing momentum ahead of Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Celtic.
Rangers secured back-to-back victories under their new head coach thanks to Danilo’s seventh-minute strike and a late penalty save from goalkeeper Jack Butland, lifting them to third place in the Premiership, above Hibs.
At full-time, Rohl and his players celebrated with the travelling fans at Easter Road — a moment the German coach said was a sharp contrast to the previous week’s scenes in Bergen, where angry supporters confronted the team following a 3–0 defeat to SK Brann.
“What I really liked was how our supporters and players came together at the end,” Rohl said. “They can see what we’re trying to do, and the spirit we’re building. Just a week ago, there was a bit of distance between us, but now we’re closer — and that’s great to see.
The players gave everything tonight. They deserved that moment with the fans. We talked about building momentum — we took a step on Sunday, and this was the next one. Two wins in a row help, but football has short memories, so we have to keep going.”
Rohl’s tactical shift pays off
Rohl switched Rangers into a 3-4-2-1 formation, a move that appeared to bring greater balance and comfort to his side.
“The change of shape has been positive for us,” he explained. “Getting the early goal was key, especially in a game like this. We wanted to limit the space behind our defence, and although we lacked a bit of clinical edge in the second half, our organisation and togetherness were good.
It wasn’t perfect, but the progress from my first game to the last two has been clear. We’ve shown we can win in different ways — today was more about structure and discipline.”
The win sets up Rohl’s first Old Firm clash this weekend, and while he hasn’t finalised his game plan, he said the coaching staff would assess the squad over the coming days.
“Do I have a plan for Sunday? Not yet — I’ll review tonight’s match first and make adjustments. We’ll use Friday and Saturday to prepare properly,” Rohl added.
Danilo update
Striker Danilo, who scored the winner, was replaced at half-time but is expected to be fit for the Celtic match.
“Danilo just needs more minutes to find his rhythm,” Rohl said. “We’re managing him carefully — it’s about sharing the workload right now. I spoke with the players before the game; everyone understands what we’re doing.”
Gray rues missed chances
Hibernian head coach David Gray admitted his team were “the masters of their own downfall” after Jamie McGrath’s missed penalty and Thibault Klidje’s close-range miss denied them an equaliser. The defeat was Hibs’ first domestic loss at Easter Road in 11 months.
“The penalty was a huge moment — but people miss them, that happens,” said Gray. “The frustration is that there wasn’t much in the game. We weren’t outplayed or overrun, which makes it harder to take. We really only have ourselves to blame.”
Gray also explained his decision to withdraw Chris Cadden after just 20 minutes.
“He was on a yellow card, and it was purely tactical,” he said. “I felt bringing someone on who could be more aggressive would benefit the team. It was a decision made to help us in that moment.”
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