For Rangers, trophy-less seasons have become a recurring theme over the past decade. Of the nine full campaigns since their return to the Scottish Premiership in 2016, six have ended without silverware. After Monday’s defeat to Heart of Midlothian effectively ended their title hopes, that number is set to become seven out of ten.
Former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday summed up the stakes for Danny Rohl and his side heading into Sunday’s Old Firm derby at Celtic Park. “It’s obviously not what they were looking for, but the fact of the matter is Rangers’ trophy now is to make sure that Celtic don’t win the league,” he told the Scottish Football Podcast.
Rohl, however, rejects the idea that Rangers’ season is now solely about preventing Celtic from lifting the title, insisting they are playing for themselves and their supporters. Keeping their hopes of Champions League qualification alive is the primary aim. A defeat on Sunday would leave them in third place with no route into Europe’s elite club competition.
There is also a point to prove for Rohl and his chastened squad. After taking charge in October following Russell Martin’s short and turbulent reign, Rohl received plenty of praise for pulling Rangers into contention. A 13-point gap to leaders Hearts was reduced to one before the split, but back-to-back losses to Motherwell and the leaders have shifted the debate, with Rangers now seven points behind with three games left.
At 37, in just his second role as a head coach, Rohl’s lack of experience has been highlighted in recent matches. Not starting Mikey Moore against Motherwell, despite him arguably being Rangers’ best player this season, and then being slow to adapt as Jens Berthel Askou’s side raced into a 2-0 lead have been heavily scrutinised. At Tynecastle, Rangers dominated the first half but failed to build on their advantage when Derek McInnes bolstered his midfield with Blair Spittal at half-time. Hearts improved instantly, and Rangers had no answer.
Rohl offered a insightful diagnosis of the issue on Friday, citing a lack of movement from his players to get on the ball compared to the first 45 minutes. “If you don’t move an opponent who is man-marking, you will still not find the right solutions,” the German said. “This is a part of what we have to do better to understand, even under the highest pressure, who is now the free man, how we can take him and how we can open up the spaces.” While insightful, this explanation may fall on unimpressed ears among many Rangers fans.
Rangers’ record against the rest of the top six under Rohl is poor, and exiting both cup competitions to Celtic has not helped impressions, nor have two defeats at Tynecastle. Rohl did engineer a turnaround against Wilfried Nancy’s Celtic at the start of 2026, but has yet to outsmart Martin O’Neill, ceding a 2-0 lead in the last league derby. If Celtic emerge victorious on Sunday, grumbles about Rangers’ record in big games will grow louder. There is still plenty on the line.
Calmer heads might point out that Rohl inherited a squad widely criticised before his arrival and moulded them into unlikely title contenders. Striker Youssef Chermiti has improved significantly, but the team’s overall consistency remains in question. Rangers want to ‘set new standards,’ but the immediate focus is on Sunday’s clash, where a win could salvage pride and keep faint European hopes alive.