Danny Rohl boasts glittering Rangers transfer contacts but fear is he'll be forced to rely on Kevin Thelwell
This Ibrox board might have made an astute appointment with their new head coach but the German needs more
This is only his 15th day in the job as Rangers gaffer.
So it’s still way too early to make a judgement on whether Danny Rohl is the right man to bring the glory days back to Ibrox.
The jury is still out on the German.
Like every Rangers boss, whether he’s a success or failure will depend purely on silverware.
And ultimately, he lost his first chance of a trophy at Hampden on Sunday.
If you put aside the plethora of incidents, talking points and controversies from 120 minutes of Old Firm mayhem - Celtic deserved to win.
Rohl’s team were out-fought and out-thought in a first half where they were second best in every department.
He might have regrets over his team selection.
Before getting sent off, Thelo Aasgaard was largely ineffective, playing on the periphery of the game.
Others vying for that position - Mikey Moore and Djeidi Gassama - looked like better options when they eventually got off the bench.
Should mis-firing Youssef Chermiti have been hooked at half-time instead of Danilo?
Did Nico Raskin really have to be subbed at the end of the 90 when his influence was growing?
Clearly, the manager didn’t get everything right.
But even after just two weeks in charge, the signs are still good when it comes to Rohl.
For once - when it comes to decision making - this Ibrox board might have made an astute appointment with their new head coach.
To implement a new shape and structure, which suits this side better, in such a short space of time is no mean feat.
He's identified issues early, pinpointed weaknesses within the squad - and devised a plan to improve it.
That got them two quick victories in the Premiership which were much-needed.
And on Sunday, after a poor first 45, he somehow rejuvenated them with 10 men.
Rohl tinkered with the system - bringing on Gassama for Danilo - and it helped them get a grip of the game, despite their disadvantage.
But you know what was far more important and impressive than that?
He galvanised them. He got them to run more, to chase, to close down space - and eventually force Celtic so far back they got a deserved equaliser.
In that period, Rohl earned his corn as a coach.
That should be of huge encouragement to the owners and the fans, going forward.
But it also got you wondering - how good COULD he be with better players at his disposal?
And that’s what will frustrate these supporters most.
For the first time in a while, they feel like they have a connection with a manager. They can see Rohl has got something.
But unfortunately, the club’s ropey recruitment in the summer has left him with very little to work with.
Rohl might well be a top coach. But he’s not a miracle worker.
In the second half against Celtic, when 10-man Rangers were on top, their driving forces were players who have been there for years.
It was led by skipper James Tavernier, who is in his last year at Ibrox.
The likes of John Souttar, Raskin and Mo Diomande were the catalysts for the comeback.
The rest? Most of them were found wanting.
Moore and Gassama deserve credit for impacting the game as subs - even though the French winger missed two gilt-edged chances.
But as for the others, Rangers simply aren’t getting enough from players they have spent serious money on.
The big one, of course, is £8 million striker Chermiti.
Whatever sporting director Kevin Thelwell might say or think - for that kind of cash - the Portuguese front-man HAS to produce more.
He passed up two golden opportunities to score in an Old Firm game.
His replacement, £4.5 million buy Bojan Miovski, is another who is grossly under-performing.
Throw in £5 million Danilo from the previous regime and you’d expect far more from a mega-expensive attacking trio.
In contrast, Celtic won the game with two young strikers who cost about 10 bob between them.
At the back for Rangers, on-loan Wolves centre-back Nasser Djiga was a bag of nerves in the derby.
He was a bomb scare in the first half, a weak link that Celtic targeted - and his unease spread throughout Rohl’s team.
On the other side, two more summer additions, Jayden Meghoma and Derek Cornelius don’t look strong enough to be Rangers players.
The kid from Brentford is the club’s only left-back - a situation which shouldn't have been allowed to happen - and was out-muscled by Johnny Kenny for Celtic’s opening goal.
Cornelius, who Gers have an option to buy permanently from Marseille next year, lost Callum Osmand in the box for the Hoops’ clincher.
Meanwhile, the likes of Max Aarons, Joe Rothwell, Aasgaard, Oliver Antman and Manny Fernandez, have produced next to nothing since arriving in Glasgow.
But that’s what Rohl has been left with.
He learned his trade under legendary coach Hansi Flick at Bayern Munich.
But even the current Barcelona boss would struggle to get a tune out of that lot.
So the question is - will Rohl get the chance to sign his own targets in January?
Will he be allowed to lean on the likes of Flick and other contacts within the game to bring better players to Ibrox?
Or will he be forced to rely on what Thelwell and Co give him?
If Rangers really want to see the best of Rohl - I’d suggest the former might be a better idea.
