Danny Rohl dragged his Rangers players out of their beds in Budapest for a crunch morning meeting after their latest Europa League loss to Ferencvaros.
Danny Rohl dragged his Rangers players out of their beds in Budapest for a crunch morning meeting after their latest Europa League loss to Ferencvaros.
The German admitted he was angry at the way his team surrendered the lead Bojan Miovski handed them midway through the first period.
Jayden Meghoma and Djeidi Gassama were culpable as Bence Otvos levelled in first-half stoppage-time, with James Tavernier and Manny Fernandez both at fault as Barnabas Varga sealed the win for Robbie Keane’s men.
A fifth defeat in six matches in the group stage leaves Rangers sitting on just one point and fourth bottom of the 36-team table with matches against Ludogorets and Porto remaining.
Still irate at the way in which his side slid to another defeat, Rohl revealed he staged a clear-the-air meeting in the team hotel prior to flying back to Glasgow.
‘We had a meeting in the morning. We spoke about the game,’ said the German. ‘It was important that we speak about this and now we have to move forward to the next games.
Rohl was left disappointed after seeing his side lose from a winning position
Several of the players could be seen arguing amongst themselves on the pitch
‘I was angry after the match and I showed them exactly the situations where we did what we want them to do and the parts where we didn’t. Then they see the big picture and I think the players were clear after that.
‘On Thursday, we had two phases in the game. We had some good phases where we create something, where we are very compact and good in defence. Then we have some phases where we lose our structure in and out of possession.
‘This is what we have to improve, especially at this level in Europe, to take something.
‘In the upcoming games, we have good opponents that we will face and they will challenge us in a lot of things. We have to do it right.’
Rohl has overseen some better performances since succeeding Russell Martin as manager yet has still won only five of his 12 matches in charge.
Asked what was required for the side to truly kick on under him, he replied: ‘I think (we need to play) consistently from game to game, but also consistently in 90 minutes.
‘Even in our games in the league, we always have some moments where we drop a little bit back into old habits or we lose our heads.
‘This is what we have to improve. But this, for me as a coach, is normal in the process at the moment. You have these small ups and downs, but we have to make them smaller and smaller.
‘We are still looking for a 90-minute performance. I think it drops in the game, the understanding. It drops in the tactical understanding.
‘Sometimes we are running but running in the wrong moments. It’s not just running, it’s also about running with a good mindset.
‘But I still see a process. I think this is crucial.
Bojan Miovski had put Rangers ahead with a spectacular overhead kick
‘Do not think everything is bad after this defeat. We are disappointed. We should be.
‘This is a good sign. Now we move on.’
Rohl hopes his side can quickly park the midweek disappointment and bounce back with a home win against Hibs on Monday.
Despite only winning six out of 15 Premiership matches this season, the side is unbeaten in the league in seven games under the new manager and are still in the title race.
‘Monday is a big game and a big opportunity,’ stressed Rohl. ‘In the league we want to continue our run.
‘From the game on Thursday we can learn a lot about moments. This is always what I tell everyone. I talk to my players about consistency.’
Tavernier was widely criticised for failing to stop Callum O’Dowda’s cross which led to the Ferencvaros winner.
‘Tav is an experienced player, he tries to help the group,’ said Rohl. ‘I think he has had good moments where you really see he can lift us and he is calm.
‘And then he also has some moments where he is involved in some situations. But this is football.
‘I see he is very ambitious. He is still hungry. He invests a lot in training, in the game. And this is a good part of what it means for the future.’
Rangers narrowly won at Easter Road at the end of October in what was Rohl’s first away league match.
‘I learned a lot,’ he recalled of the win that came via an early Danilo goal. ‘It was a strong defensive performance, especially in the second half.
‘But we should not forget there was also the moment very late in the game where we made one mistake (which led to a penalty).
Rohl spoke to a number of players at the full-time whistle, including Miovski
‘All in all, it was a huge step forward, one that gave us a belief.
‘I see in the last two weeks we have some good moments where we improve and we make steps forward. But at the moment we cannot do it in every game, in every minute.
‘This is the most important thing and this is what we have to do on Monday night.’
Rohl is waiting to see if Miovski is available to face David Gray’s men after he picked up an injury late on Thursday.
‘It’s too early, let’s see,’ he explained. ‘I think the next 48 hours we’ll decide if he’s available or not.
‘We are doing everything at the moment that we need to do. It looks at the moment like a kick. Normally it’s not long term, but you never know.
‘He’s scored three goals in two games. We were waiting for this and he feels more confident.
‘It would be helpful that he’s available, especially now for the busy schedule in the next weeks.’