At long last, Rangers have got their next manager after officially announcing the appointment of Danny Rohl. The former Sheffield Wednesday manager was not their first choice, that’s no secret, but one former Ibrox star has already pointed out one similarity with club legend Walter Smith.
Danny Rohl: "No time to waste" at Rangers
It’s not Steven Gerrard, it’s not Kevin Muscat, but it is Rohl. Rangers have finally filled their managerial vacancy and must now put full faith in their 36-year-old coach to turn things around after a disastrous start.
For all his inexperience, it’s worth noting that the former Sheffield Wednesday boss has worked with the likes of Hansi Flick and was Ralph Hasenhuttl’s assistant when his Southampton side were at their very best. He is one of the best young managers around and has been handed the biggest job of his career to date.
In an ideal world, Rohl would have all the patience needed to make his mark in Scotland. However, the reality is that he must get off to a solid start following the disaster of Russell Martin’s tenure.
The German is well aware of how urgent things are at Ibrox, though, having told the club’s official website: “We have no time to waste, we start straight away.
“I respect that trust is earned and understand we have to give the supporters confidence in what we are doing by showing it on the pitch from the start. The expectations are huge and I love this challenge because I set high standards for myself and the team too.”
Some have already hit out at his inexperience, but one former Rangers star has highlighted a key similarity with Walter Smith which may just buy Rohl some time.
Andy Halliday reveals similarity between Rohl and Walter Smith
Speaking on Clyde1 Superscoreboard, former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday revealed a similarity between Rohl and the legendary Smith.
“Walter Smith is the best Rangers manager of my generation and he hadn’t managed a (senior) game when he took the job so you just don’t know.
“But I do feel like what we said about Russell Martin with the fans being a little uneasy about the appointment and being under pressure straightaway. I do feel Danny Rohl is going to be under the same pressure.”
Indeed, Rohl has no experience as the main man in the pressure environment of a top level club with huge support, but cut his teeth behind the scenes at Bayern Munich as Hansi Flick’s assistant. Similarly, Smith arrived at Ibrox with no senior managerial experience, but had coached Scotland’s youth sides.
Of course, Smith is a once in a generation manager, but Halliday’s point stands. The jury should not deliver their verdict until Rohl has had a chance to impress at Rangers.
There will be many who have been left scared by Martin’s time in charge, but Rohl’s reputation suggests that he is a different calibre to the former Southampton boss.
Thursday’s game against Brann in the Europa League hands the young manager the perfect opportunity to prove Halliday right and get his era off to the best possible start.